


Togetherness

by Cat2000, Hope1iz



Series: Redeeming Grant [59]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Spanking, Suggestions of abuse/brainwashing/violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:06:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 40,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25599280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat2000/pseuds/Cat2000, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hope1iz/pseuds/Hope1iz
Summary: Disclaimer: We don't own anything belonging to MARVEL and we're not making any money from this ficSummary: 59th in the Redeeming Grant series.
Series: Redeeming Grant [59]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/146451
Comments: 7
Kudos: 4





	Togetherness

**Author's Note:**

> Authors: Hope1iz and Cat2000  
> Warning(s): Disciplinary and Non-disciplinary Spanking; Suggestions of abuse/brainwashing/violence.

Yon-Rogg grit his teeth and maneuvered his ship through another asteroid field, hoping it helped hide him from his pursuers. After Vers had sent him back to the Supreme Intelligence with her message, things had not been easy for him. Viewed as a failure and looked at with distrust because he had prevented Ronan from destroying the Terran planet immediately when he'd first wanted to, Yon had undergone extreme re-education; which included being held in stasis, while the Supreme Intelligence picked through his memories over and over. About the only good thing to come from that was his body regenerating (he hadn't aged a day in over 20 years) and... he'd grown disillusioned with Kree tactics and plans. He'd pretended well enough to get his own ship again and then he'd taken off, hoping to find some corner of the universe he could hide and live in peaceful solitude. As peaceful as he could, considering the nightmares he now had.

Talos had been out on a patrol with his wife in their small ship when he'd spotted the small ship being pursued by Kree vessels. He didn't even have to ask her; the Kree were their enemy and Talos wanted to try and help anyone who might get on the wrong side of them.

Their ship was small, but it was fast. And outfitted with the best weapons his people had access to. Weaving into the asteroid field after the Kree vessels, he fired.

"Great..." Yon muttered to himself, as he saw the vessel now firing on his Kree pursuers. They would be a help keeping the ships off him, but after that… Who knew? He recognized it as a Skrull vessel, and he honestly didn't see how being captured by Skrull would be any healthier for him than being caught by Kree. He was in between a rock and a hard place. Desperately, he scanned the asteroids, hoping to find one large enough he could hide his ship. The nearest planet wasn't that far away either, but the chances of being found by or running into hostile beings was higher there as well.

"That looks like a Kree vessel they're chasing."

Talos glanced at his wife at her comment, but only said, "The humans have a saying. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I want to know why they're chasing the ship."

Sadly, the choice of where to land was taken out of Yon's hands. One of the Kree got in a lucky shot. His ship was going to go down. If he didn't head for the planet and possible friendly atmosphere, he would die from suffocation and the freezing cold of space. He aimed for the planet. And then it was a struggle of man verses machine as he hurtled toward the ground. He leveled his ship enough that he skipped across the ground like a rock over a lake, instead of plowing nose first into the dirt. That was the last he knew.

As soon as the ship landed on the planet, on _their_ planet, Talos brought their ship in to land. He got out and quickly ran towards the ship, his wife following close behind.

Yon was slumped in the cockpit, unconscious. His ship was all but destroyed. If it wasn't for his shallow breathing, no one could have been blamed if they thought him dead.

It took only a few moments for Talos to discover the injured Kree in the wreckage of his ship and he hesitated, glancing around, halfway convinced this was a trick. "Why would they be hunting him?"

"We can figure that out later." His wife moved quickly forward to get the Kree out of the cockpit. "Call Carol. Maybe she knows something. Then you can help me."

Shaking his head, Talos activated his comm.

Carol had been helping make certain that the newest Skrull refuge was as hidden as possible from Kree notice when she got Talos' call. She immediately went to meet him where he directed her.

Yon didn't wake up.

After letting Carol know where they were, Talos went over to help his wife get the Kree out of the wrecked cockpit.

Carol was waiting for Talos and his wife by the time they arrived where Talos had sent her. When she saw they were carrying someone, she quickly moved to help; but when she saw _who_ they carried, she stumbled slightly, her body taking on a tense mien.

"There were other Kree firing on his ship," Talos explained quickly. "I don't know why they were targeting him, but it might be he's no longer on their side."

"Don't you know who this is?" Carol asked quietly but agitated. "I find it hard to believe he's changed so much, after what he did... " Her voice was sad and wistful. It was clear she wished he had changed sides.

"We won't know anything until he's healed," Soren said.

"And then we can decide what to do with him," Talos added.

Carol nodded, taking Yon from both Skrull and carrying him into the infirmary. Stepping back so the doctors could work on him, she set herself as guard. If this was a trap of some sort, she would be there to protect her friends.

Soren and Talos stayed in the infirmary, waiting for the doctors to finish treating Yon-Rogg's injuries, neither prepared to relax and let their guard down.

The medics had bandaged and stitched Yon as best they could. It was five hours before he woke, though. When he did wake and finally opened his eyes, seeing who stood watch over him, he panicked.

Talos stepped forward, eyeing Yon with obvious distrust. "No one here will harm you unless you give them a reason to," he stated.

Yon didn't see how that could possibly be true. They likely wanted information from him. He tried to get up but found himself restrained. "Any information I could have given you is long outdated... they changed anything it was possible to change when I turned on them." His voice was surprisingly steady, even though it was obvious he was scared.

Talos glanced sideways at Carol, wondering what she made of the Kree's comment, before addressing Yon-Rogg. "You turned on them?"

Yon slumped back into the bed, his eyes becoming slightly unfocussed with memories. "It would have been more merciful, kinder, to have killed me, or given me to the Terrans, or the Skrull..." he said to Carol. "...Your message to the Kree was my physical and mental undoing. A fitting punishment...."

His voice caught and he blinked. Turning his face to Talos, he answered the Skrull leader. "I was a failure and had been the cause of one of the Kree's greatest losses. As far as they were concerned, I was less than worthless to them... except as an experiment. I spent years being..." He swallowed hard, visibly trying to push down fear from the memory. "...Being remade. Reprogrammed. They had finally deemed me broken enough to put back into battle. And there, I failed them one last time. The memory of what they did to me the last twenty-five years stayed instead of disappearing and I ran from them. If I have any information you need, it is buried so deep that only your machine would be able to pull it out... if it is there. I wouldn't be able to tell you what is real or fake... what is important or useless... but I won't fight you. If you put me in the machine. I won't fight. I owe you two debts: one for my actions against you and your people, one for saving my life...." He sunk back into the bed wearily.

Soren looked at Talos and then took a step forward. "For right now, it is more important that you rest. Heal," she said firmly. "If any information is needed, we will deal with retrieving it as and when the situation arises."

"If... if you need it, don't worry about me. They left enough memory that I know I was a horrible person. I know what I did to you. I want to help..." His voice trailed off as pain medication he hadn't been aware was in the IV took hold and his eyes closed in sleep.

Carol was pale, as she knew what he would have been put through. That she'd condemned him to that didn't sit well. Even if he had been fighting on the wrong side of an unjust war, he hadn't deserved to be tortured and used as an experiment. To lose most of his memories (but the ones that would cripple him) and himself. That he'd retained enough of his personality that he'd run as soon as he was off their leash was a miracle. "Once you get the information you need, I want to take him back to Earth. Of all the places in the galaxy, I think he would be safe there."

Talos nodded his agreement, watching Yon-Rogg, his face grave. "I won't be using the machine." His voice was firm. Decisive.

"He will not be harmed." Soren's voice was as firm as her husband's.

"Even if he possibly has important information? That he can't access any other way?" Carol asked. Not that she wanted the machine to be used, but she wanted to be sure they knew what they were possibly giving up. "The machine was disorienting. But it didn't hurt...."

Talos walked over and sat down next to Yon-Rogg's bedside, not surprised when his wife joined him. "I've seen people broken and tortured before. I won't add more."

Soren didn't speak, but she reached out and took hold of one of Yon's hands.

Carol stood at the foot of the bed, her eyes going over him. "He hasn't changed or aged at all in over two decades..." she whispered. "It took the tesseract being absorbed into my body to gain that ageless feature. What did they do to him?" Her voice was faint.

"After he wakes up, we will talk with him and see what he remembers." Talos watched Yon's face, feeling oddly protective over the Kree. It was a feeling he only ever had towards his family. Without conscious thought, he reached out and stroked a hand through Yon's hair.

Soren looked at Carol and then at her husband. "But he will need to eat and drink, to settle, before we ask him about painful memories." She gently squeezed the Kree's hand.

Carol sighed. "I should have known they'd punish him for failing when I sent him back. I didn't care enough to think about it at that time."

"You can't blame yourself. It was a desperate situation at the time," Talos said. "He won't be harmed again."

"I know. You are nothing if not protective of your people." Carol smiled, certain in her assumption that Talos had decided Yon was one of his.

"He might be safer on Earth." Talos glanced at Soren and then at Carol. "But I think we would like to go with him. For as long as we can, at least."

"He needs someone," Soren said softly.

Carol blinked at that. "I've been wanting to check in on Fury anyway..." She nodded. "See how Maria and Monica are doing."

"We'll have to wait until Yon is fully recovered." There was an obvious note of protectiveness in Talos' voice, if that wasn't made just as obvious by his constant touching of the Kree.

"Of course. Do you plan to call your daughter back to go with you? Or leave her in charge while you are gone?" Carol grinned.

"We will ask Lyja what she would like to do," Soren stated. "She might come with us, or she might choose to stay behind."

"There are others who can be in charge if she does come with us and her new brother." Talos said the words clearly, putting voice to what he and Soren had decided without words.

Carol grinned at that. "I cann _ot_ wait till Yon discovers he's got himself a mama and papa... he will not know how to act...."

Talos stroked his fingers through Yon's hair as he said to Carol, "You know more about Kree physiology than we do. He'll need food when he wakes up. If you can let me know what would be beneficial for him, I would appreciate it."

"I'll do better. I'll go get food for all three of you. Items that will help him recover faster and that will give you the energy to deal with him when he realizes he's got someone who's gonna take care of him..." Carol chuckled and turned to go to the kitchens. "Be back in thirty minutes, hopefully."

"We'll be here." Talos put his free arm around Soren, but the two of them continued to hold onto their new son.

****

When Yon awoke again, he didn't know how much time had gone by. He could see a tray with empty plates on a table across the room and a covered tray closer to where he lay. Carol, Talos and Soren were speaking softly over him, the two Skrull still holding his hands. He groaned softly, announcing that he'd woken.

Soren was the first to respond, squeezing his hand and running her fingers through his hair. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

Talos used his free hand to reach for the covered tray and pull it towards them.

"A..." Yon paused and swallowed at seeing the genuine concern on her face. "...I'm feeling better. Still hurts, but I think I might be more bruised and battered than wounded..." he said softly.

"You need to eat something, son." The term slipped out of Talos' mouth without conscious thought. "I asked Carol for food that will help you recover." He uncovered the tray.

Soren carefully leaned forward to help Yon to sit up, moving pillows behind his back for support.

Yon blinked at the term but didn't attribute it to anything but a slip of tongue. He didn't think it had anything to do with him. He sat up carefully, grateful for Soren's help and the pillows. "Thank you," he whispered. He looked at the food Talos uncovered, his mouth watering. "It looks good...."

"Can you eat, or do you need help?" Talos released Yon's hand, only to gently grasp his shoulder.

Soren had moved a bit closer and let her hand rest on Yon's upper arm, squeezing gently.

"I... I want to try..." Yon said uncertainly. His hands were shaky, but he didn’t want to be weak.

"You do not need to if it might be a struggle." Soren gently clasped the sides of his face, encouraging him to look at her. "There is no shame in needing help."

Yon swallowed hard again, then nodded. "O... okay. I... I'd appreciate help..." he whispered.

Soren smiled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to his forehead and then reaching for the food on the tray, beginning to feed him.

Talos squeezed Yon's shoulder and smiled. "Good choice. It's been a long time since anyone took care of you, I suspect."

"You are probably right," Yon said in between mouthfuls, a mystified look on his face. "Can't remember when it happened."

Talos slid his hand down to squeeze Yon's hand once more, as Soren continued to feed the Kree. "You aren't alone any longer," he said seriously. "It's clear you need someone. Need a family."

"I don't remember how to be in a family," Yon admitted.

Talos glanced at Carol. He had the strong suspicion that Yon had had no family; if he had and they truly cared for him, they wouldn't have stood by while the Kree leaders tortured and abused him.

"You do not need to remember." Soren stroked his hair. "You can learn."

"You'll teach me how?" Yon sounded so childishly hopeful Carol winced.

Talos turned his attention back to Yon, reaching out to brush his fingers over the Kree's cheek. "Teach you. Take care of you. Love you."

"How? How could you want to do that for me? Want me? After everything I did to you?" Yon swallowed hard, blinking back sudden tears. It was all so overwhelming.

Talos paused and then, careful not to prevent his wife feeding Yon, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around the Kree, a bit startled at how good the embrace felt. How _right_ it felt. "They left you with the worst of your memories, but those are not the sum of who you are. You need a family. And we have a son-shaped hole for you to fill."

Yon couldn't eat anymore. He was crying too hard. Instead, he blindly reached toward Talos and Soren, needing to hold onto and be held by his new parents.

Talos moved enough for Soren to wrap her arms around Yon just as tightly as Talos held onto him. They both held him tightly, protectively...careful not to aggravate his injuries.

Carol smiled at the sight of the two Skrull comforting and cuddling the Kree. It gave her a feeling of hope, seeing them forgive and accept someone who had hurt them badly once. "I'll go arrange for a ship. So, we can leave as soon as possible."

Yon snuggled close. "Are you my parents now?" he whispered.

Talos nodded in acknowledgement of Carol's words before addressing Yon. "Yes. You are our son now."

Soren kissed his cheek. "And we love you."

"Thank you... I felt so lost, but now... now I feel optimistic..." Yon said.

Talos pressed his own kiss to Yon's hair and then positioned himself a bit closer on the bed, wrapping his arm around his new son's shoulders so he could hold onto him and take over feeding him.

Soren let her fingers stroke through Yon's hair and across his cheek. Their family had always been very affectionate; and she suspected Yon had had very little affection from anyone.

Yon found himself responding to the affection by pressing closer and seeking more of it. He ate what he was fed without complaint.

"Good boy." Talos spoke the words softly, slowly stroking his fingers down Yon's arm and then up under his sleeve, rubbing against bare skin.

Continuing to stroke gently over Yon's cheek and through his hair, Soren pressed as close to him on the other side, leaving Yon almost bracketed between her and her husband.

Yon smiled at the praise, letting himself lean into the touches. When he finished eating everything he was given, he lay back.

At that moment, Carol walked in. "I booked us passage on a ship with two men the Kree won't bother. They'd never expect them to take on passengers."

"Thank you," Talos said to Carol, before addressing Yon. "Do you feel up to travelling? If you're still too hurt, we'll stay here longer." He continued gently stroking his son's bare arm, keeping the three of them pressed close together.

"I can rest as easily traveling as here..." Yon said softly. "If you think I'm able, I'm ready and willing."

"Good!" Carol grinned. "They'll be ready to leave tonight. They'll meet us at these coordinates." She gave the numbers to Talos.

Talos took the coordinates and then addressed Yon. "I will ask your sister to come here. We're uncertain if she will accompany us or stay here."

Yon nodded. "Yessir. Do you think she'll be happy or upset I'm here?"

Soren took Yon's hand in both of hers and squeezed gently. "She always wanted a brother. I'm certain she will see the same things in you we have."

"I hope so..." Yon swallowed. "She and I... we're closer to the same age now. I scared her before." He sounded sad.

Talos wrapped his arm a bit more firmly around Yon's shoulders. "You will not scare her now."

"Good..." Yon leaned into Talos. "I don't want to scare her."

Talos brushed a kiss over Yon's head, fingers still stroking over his arm; still cuddling his son against his side.

Soren kissed Yon's cheek. "I will send her a message now. Ask her to come." She proceeded to do so.

"Thank you, mama..." Talos smiled, cuddling closer to his father, even as he pressed into Soren's kiss.

It took only a few moments for the message to be sent and then Soren wrapped her arms around Talos once more, cuddling him from the other side.

Only a few minutes later, Lyja was stepping through the door. She paused, looking towards Yon, cuddled on the bed between her parents. "You still look the same."

"I'm not sure how or why... but... yeah..." Yon licked his lips nervously. "Can... can you forgive me?" He hoped his new sister could accept him.

Lyja walked over and sat down on the bed, next to her mother and close to Yon. She looked searchingly into his eyes. "Lots of good people have done bad things. And I believe you are a good person," she stated. "Besides. I always wanted a brother."

For the second time, Yon found himself crying. "How did I ever deserve to... you are all so good to me... Thank you so much...." He squeezed his mother's hand and pressed closer to his father.

Carol cleared her throat. "I'm going to go pack. Gather what supplies we might need. I'll get some items together for Yon, since he has nothing. Do you want me to pack for both of you?" She glanced from Soren to Talos and back.

Talos brushed his fingers over Yon's cheeks, gently wiping away the tears, as he answered Carol. "That would be helpful, thank you."

"My things are still packed from my last trip out, so all I need to do is grab my bag," Lyja stated, answering the question of whether she'd be going with them.

"I'll grab it and put it with all the other bags, then." Carol grinned at Lyja, nodding at the others before leaving.

Yon pressed his face into Talos' hand.

Talos let his fingers continue gently brushing over Yon's cheeks, cupping his son's face in his hand. If it wasn't for the IV hooked up to him, he probably would have gathered Yon into his lap. As it was, he made do with embracing and holding onto Yon from one side, while Soren held onto him from the other.

Lyja watched her new brother cuddling with their parents. "Did you talk about rules and consequences yet?"

"Not yet," Soren answered. "I think there's time enough to talk about that."

Yon gave Lyja a curious look. "What kinda rules and consequences?" He sounded slightly nervous. "Will breaking any of them get me taken away from you? I want to make sure I avoid doing anything that will separate us. I don't want to lose this now that I found it...."

"No. Of course not." Lyja immediately hurried to reassure her brother, not wanting to scare him about being separated. "It's like...what happens if you're naughty. Do something dangerous or lie...don't take care of yourself. That kind of thing. You get spanked."

Soren squeezed Yon's hand. "You will _never_ get taken away from us," she promised.

Yon nodded, pressing closer to Talos and gripping Soren's hand tighter. "So... being naughty, or doing dangerous stuff, or lying, or not taking care of myself... are those the only things that can get me in trouble? Get... spanked?" he asked hesitantly.

Talos stroked Yon's cheek as he answered the question. "Those are the main things that will get you spanked. Minor things like an attitude or a temper are more likely to get you a mild reminder."

"It's not about unbearable pain." Soren's voice was gentle. "It's about correction. Often, it helps inside." She placed her free hand over Yon's chest, where his heart was. "It can help stop guilt fester and hurt."

"Is... is there a statute of limitations on getting into trouble for past actions?" Yon asked, in a whisper. His voice was steady, but it was clear the answer was important to him.

"That depends on you," Talos said calmly. "If it's something that you feel guilty about, that's festering inside like a wound that needs to be lanced, then there isn't any statute of limitations."

"I... I don’t remember a lot," Yon whispered. "What little I remember... I was horrible. I can't help feeling guilty..." he admitted.

"Spankings help," Lyja said. "When it's done by someone who loves you." She moved forward to wrap her arms around Yon in a tight hug. "Do you want me to ask the doctor whether it's okay to remove the IV?" she asked.

Yon nodded, wrapping his arms around his sister in a tight hug. "Please?" he asked quietly.

Lyja held him for a few more moments and then kissed his cheek before loosening her grip and standing, moving to find the doctor.

Soren kissed Yon's cheek. "We love you," she said quietly. "No matter what happened in the past. But I understand this is important to you. Would you feel better if me or your papa handled this?"

Yon thought about it, then glanced toward Talos. "I... I remember trying to kill Papa with my own hands. I... I think I need him to handle me..." he said softly, giving his mama a kiss on the cheek.

Squeezing his hand gently, Soren said softly, "I will still be here, so you can gain comfort from me."

Talos let his fingers brush over Yon's cheeks and through his hair, glancing up as Lyja walked back over, followed by the doctor.

Yon's grip on Soren was strong. He was grateful she would stay. He glanced up as his sister and doctor returned.

Soren and Talos only moved enough to let the doctor examine Yon, otherwise staying close to him and keeping hold of his hands.

"Your injuries are healing well, but you should avoid doing anything too strenuous until you're fully healed," the doctor said, as he carefully removed the IV. Glancing at Talos, he added, "I will pack the supplies you need so that he doesn't get stiff and his muscles don't seize up."

"Thank you," Talos answered.

"Thank you, doctor... I will follow your instructions," Yon promised.

Nodding, the doctor left the four of them alone.

Talos shifted a bit nearer to Yon on the bed, stroking his fingers through his son's hair, before he very carefully moved Yon across his lap, careful not to dislodge Soren's hand.

Yon cooperated as much as possible to avoid straining his wounds or making things difficult for his new father. He needed to pay for what he'd done to this family... his family. Having his mother and sister witness his father punish him made sense.

Soren grasped Yon's hand in both of hers and leaned down to kiss his cheek, then pressed her forehead gently against his; one of her people's signs of affection.

Talos rubbed and stroked Yon's back gently for a few moments before he carefully bared his son.

Yon grasped his mother's hand almost desperately, relaxing only when she pressed their foreheads together. He whimpered softly at being bare but didn’t try and move away, even though his bottom was on display to his sister.

"You are loved," Soren whispered, keeping their foreheads pressed together. "You are wanted. You have a family."

Rubbing Yon's back a moment or two longer, Talos brought his hand down firmly at the crest of his son's backside. He carefully held back on using his full strength and repeated the swat.

"I need you all so much. Want to be yours so much... I love you too!" Yon let out a tiny cry as the spanking began, holding onto his mother's hand tightly. He trusted Talos would only punish as much as needed. He didn't pull away.

Soren stroked the side of Yon's face, only shifting enough to allow Lyja to move forward and take her brother's other hand, squeezing it gently.

Talos continued the swats down to Yon's thighs, not going any harder than the first two swats. He then paused and rubbed low down on Yon's back. "You don't need to suffer, son. You are not bad." He began a second circuit of swats, still at the same force.

"I did bad things, Papa... really bad things. And I don't even remember all I did... " Yon said, with a tiny sob.

"You didn't just do bad things." Talos' voice was firm as he began a third circuit of swats, now just a bit harder. "There was good you did as well. If you had no good inside you, you wouldn't have run from the Kree. You wouldn't have found yourself here."

Lyja nuzzled his hand. "I'm really happy," she whispered. "You've given me a brother."

Yon gripped Lyja and Soren's hands a little tighter as his father began to spank slightly harder, slightly faster. After everything he'd gone through, he was surprised how his bottom stinging could affect him, but it was. Of course, his bottom was stinging because of things he'd done wrong and the person making it sting cared about and loved him. That was the biggest difference. He had people in his corner now. "I... I wanna be good for you, mama... papa... wanna be a good son... a good brother." He whimpered softly, tears falling rapidly down his face. He couldn't help but begin to squirm. "Please help me be good... teach me? Don't wanna be like I was before...." he said, with a tiny sob before he slumped over Talos' lap and cried quietly. He needed to be punished. He wasn't going to try and get away. "Please teach me, papa?" he asked, in the same choked tone. It was, of course, up to Talos what and how much punishment he received; but Yon needed it to be memorable.

"Of course, son." Talos stopped spanking and resumed rubbing Yon's back for a few moments before he carefully tugged his son's clothing back into place and then moved Yon enough so that he, Soren and Lyja could cuddle him on the bed. "We will all teach you," he murmured, kissing his son's cheek.

"And love you and take care of you." Soren embraced Yon tightly, stroking her fingers through his hair.

"You couldn't be like you were before," Lyja said quietly, nestling against her brother's side. "You're already different."

The show of support and love was overwhelming, and Yon just cried, snuggling and holding onto his family without shame. This would do nothing for helping him appear brave or strong and in control. But he didn't need that with them. "It only stings a little," he said softly, a few minutes later, after he'd managed to calm down. It was clear he'd thought a punishment would hurt worse. Last longer. Or maybe it would hurt worse if he wasn't so used to pain by this point. He didn't know. It still surprised him.

Talos stroked down Yon's back, rubbing down his arms so that there could be the skin-on-skin contact. "It doesn't need to hurt unbearably, son. You are ours now."

Soren kissed his cheeks and held on tight. "We have no desire for vengeance or to harm you. Only to look after and love our new son."

Yon relaxed with the affection. "Punishments only hurt enough to teach me?" He blushed at how childish he sounded but didn't try and alter the question. "Feel safe with you..." he admitted. "Safer than ever in my life...."

Talos wrapped his arms tighter around Yon, settling his son on his lap, still stroking over his back and down his arms. "You are safe with us, son. No one will ever harm you again," he promised.

Soren and Lyja were cuddling Yon one on either side, keeping him almost protectively huddled between the three of them.

"You're going to be loved and given all the affection you could ever want and need," Soren promised.

Yon swallowed hard, letting his head drop gently forward so his forehead rested against his mother's, baring the nape of his neck to his father. He squeezed Lyja's hand gently. "Thank you for giving me a chance. Even when you had no reason to trust me or give me a chance. Thank you." His whisper was heartfelt.

Carol knocked on the door before entering. Even so, she felt bad interrupting an obviously emotional, tender family moment. "The captain of the vessel we are leaving on just informed me that the ship we are meeting has reached our rendezvous point. They would like us to board as soon as you are ready. We figure the sooner the better. Less chance of passing Kree ships to stumble across them or us because they were in one spot for too long."

"Thank you." Talos addressed Carol, running his fingers along the nape of Yon's neck. As his family began to shift and prepare to join Carol, he got off the bed and then swept his son into his arms, holding him tight and protectively.

Yon blinked at finding himself being held so close and protectively, but snuggled down, putting his head on Talos shoulder. "Papa?" He asked quietly about Talos' actions.

Carol smiled. "I moved all your luggage and supplies to the ship. If I forgot anything, just make a list and I'll come back for it once everyone is settled on Terra...."

Talos brushed a kiss against Yon's forehead. "You are still recovering. And I have the need to hold onto my new son," he said frankly.

"Thank you, Carol." Soren smiled warmly at the woman, even as she reached to take one of her son's hands and Lyja moved to the other side of Talos. "I am sure, even if something is forgotten, it will not be a problem. The most important thing is that the four of us stay together."

"I plan to travel alongside you to make certain that happens..." Carol promised.

Yon smiled at Talos' words. "I... I like the sound of that," he admitted. "Even if it does make me feel somewhat like a little boy."

Talos gently squeezed his son, sliding one hand under his shirt so that he could press his arm against Yon's bare back. "Holding onto you is going to be important to all of us, I suspect." He didn't add that he thought it would be important to his son, too. It was glaringly obvious that Yon had had little to no affection with the Kree. He waited for Carol to lead the way, so he could carry his son after her while his wife and daughter stood on either side of him.

Carol smiled at the family she'd grown to care so much about and then turned, leading them to the ship.

Yon was grateful for his father holding him when he realized how far he would have needed to walk. Talos' tight grip was comforting. And the skin on skin contact was soothing in a way he had never expected. He smiled crookedly at Lyja.

As they walked, Talos kept up the gentle affection, every so often leaning over to brush a kiss against his son's forehead or cheeks.

Lyja smiled happily at her brother and reached to take hold of his other hand, squeezing gently.

Yon squeezed Lyja's hand back gently, but it was Talos he gravitated to, pressing into each kiss and nuzzling against his father.

Talos continued touching, stroking and kissing his son, his arms tight around Yon's body. Every so often, he'd whisper, "I love you," into one of Yon's ears. He rubbed his arm against Yon's back, the skin-on-skin contact making him feel good and healing hurts he hadn't realized were inside him.

Soon, they had reached the ship that would take them to the rendezvous point. Carol stood back so Talos could get his family situated and buckled up. "I'll fly alongside, outside the ship," she commented.

"Be careful. Let us know if anything happens." Talos situated himself and then settled Yon on his lap, arms wrapped tight around his son. One hand rubbed slow circles over Yon's back, while his other stroked and rubbed the nape of his son's neck.

Yon relaxed on his father's lap, the affection putting him into a semi-sleepy state. He found himself making happy little sighs whenever Talos rubbed against bare skin.

Soren positioned herself so she could hold Yon's hand, rubbing gently up and down his arm.

Talos continued gently stroking and rubbing Yon's neck, every so often kissing his cheek or his head. He let his other hand rub the bare skin of his son's back, under the shirt.

Yon felt himself feeling younger and more depended on his parents, his family, the longer they pet him. "Love you... so much...all of you, " he said, in a tiny voice, closing his eyes and just focusing on Talos and Soren's hands.

"We love you, so much." Soren kissed his cheek as she continued to stroke and rub his arm.

Lyja squeezed his hand from the other side. "You belong with us now," she murmured.

Talos gently squeezed the nape of Yon's neck, even as he kissed and pet his son.

"Never felt like this before..." Yon admitted.

"I doubt you were treated kindly or affectionately before." Talos kissed his forehead. "But you are loved and wanted now," he promised.

"Think I might never want it to stop..." Yon blushed.

"It will not," Soren stated firmly. "You will never stop receiving affection. Never stop being loved and wanted."

Yon gave Soren a tiny smile. "Thank you, mama... for giving me a chance. For letting me have this..." He nuzzled against Talos.

Soren's smile was soft as she stroked the fingers of her other hand through Yon's hair. "You are ours," she stated simply.

Talos gently squeezed the nape of Yon's neck again. "Nothing will change that. Nothing will take you from us."

"I'm yours... forever..." Yon breathed out. "You're in charge?" he asked. He had no doubt they would be, at least until he adjusted, but later? Would they still be? Were they in charge of Lyja? He glanced toward his sister.

Lyja smiled and gently squeezed his hand.

"We will always be your parents." Talos brushed his lips against Yon's forehead. "Forever. No matter what. So yes. We will always be in charge of you."

Yon relaxed at that. Lyja had always been good. Knew how to be good. He thought he'd need a lot of help. "I'm happy about that. It scares me... thinking of having to be in charge of myself."

A slightly sad look came over Soren's face as she stroked her fingers through Yon's hair. "Do you remember being in charge of your fellow Kree?" She might not have seen much of him, but he'd seemed a capable enough leader, despite being on the opposite side. His comment saddened her, because it was evidence of how much the Kree had taken from him.

Yon swallowed and looked down, blushing. "Sometimes in my dreams, I was in charge. But that... when I'm awake, I remember that I wasn't smart enough for that. That no one would follow me."

Frowning, Talos gently squeezed the nape of Yon's neck. "They've taken a lot from you, son. You were and are smart enough to lead. You were Carol's commander. And I have no doubts that you cared a great deal for her."

"We will help repair the damage the Kree did to you." Soren's eyes were narrow with worry. What their son had gone through bothered her a great deal.

"I... I'm not sure I want that part of me back." Yon looked down. "The me that was smart and strong enough to lead hurt you..." he whispered, his voice catching. "I'd gladly follow you forever and not be in charge of anything, if it kept me from hurting you."

Talos stroked his son's neck and kissed Yon's cheek. "That part of you made mistakes, but it's still a part of you. And getting it back doesn't mean you'll make those kinds of mistakes again."

Lyja wrapped her arms around her brother. "You should not wish to lose part of yourself forever. Even if, after regaining part of it, you still choose to follow Mama and Papa rather than lead."

Yon bit his lip, then nodded. "Maybe... if I didn't hurt you or I chose to follow you... it would mean I was different, right?" He looked at Lyja, before letting his gaze move to Soren and then Talos.

Soren squeezed his hand. "You are already different, son." She stroked some hair from his face. "I do not believe you would change back even if you regained all of your memories and your old personality."

"Neither would we cast you away or change our minds." Talos kept one hand in place at Yon's neck; his other resting against his son's bare back. "It's too late to choose a different path now. We love you. We chose you. And you belong with us."

"And you won't let me become that... monster... again?" Yon's voice was full of trust.

"Oh, sweetheart." Soren's voice was sad and loving. She kissed his cheek. "You were never a monster. You were misguided. Led down the wrong path."

"There was no one to teach you the right way. Not like there is now." Talos rested his forehead against his son's. "We will not abandon you or leave you alone to flounder with no direction."

Lyja didn't say anything, but she pressed against Yon's side and kissed his shoulder.

"I won't go down the wrong path this time... you'll teach me better..." Yon nuzzled against his father's and then his mother's cheek. He gently squeezed Lyja's hand.

"Love you. Give you affection. Correct you if it becomes necessary, but no worse than you've already experienced at my hands." Talos kissed Yon's forehead.

"That didn't feel punishing," Yon admitted. "I wouldn't seek it out, but... if it happened that I deserved it, I wouldn't be worried or afraid."

"Good. You won't ever need to worry or be afraid," Soren promised. "And if it does ever become necessary again, it won't be suddenly sprung on you. We'll sit and discuss it. Make sure you understand."

Yon nodded. "Thank you..." He snuggled closer and yawned. "Dunno why I'm so tired. Thought the doctor said I wasn't wounded bad...."

"Your body needs to rest and recover." Talos stroked along his neck and back. "Sleep, son. I'll keep you cuddled on my lap. I won't let you go," he promised.

"Okay, papa..." Yon said, obediently closing his eyes. He was soon asleep.

As promised, Talos continued to hold onto his son, stroking his hair and back slowly and soothingly. Soren and Lyja continued to press close and the three began talking quietly, careful not to wake Yon.

****

"Tell me again why we agreed to take four passengers to Terra? You've said repeatedly there is nothing there worthy of your collection. And we all know if I wanted a planet of followers and slaves that have no choice but to obey me, I'm several centuries too late to expect the Terrans' compliance," Grandmaster complained.

The Collector just sniffed and gave his companion an unimpressed glance. "Were you really planning to tell _her_ no? You did hear what she did to those Kree battle-cruisers, did you not?"

Grandmaster sighed. "They did a bit more than tell her no, to have her do that. But I guess it's too late to worry about it now. We've agreed. It might be nice to sightsee, I suppose."

"That's the spirit." Collector smiled thinly. "I believe they are here now. I've just received the request for them to dock with us."

"Yes, yes... I'm lining us up now. And... there. All locked into place. Would you care to open the hatch for them?" He waved vaguely toward where the hatch was.

Rolling his eyes, Collector went to let their passengers in.

As soon as the hatch was opened, Talos stood up, carrying his son in his arms once more so they could enter the ship without him needing to let go of Yon. Hoping his son would sense he was still safe he brushed a kiss across Yon's head as he moved with his wife and daughter through the hatch.

"Hey... I know him!" Grandmaster said wrinkling his nose. "I don't remember him being friendly with non-Kree, however..." he said, in confusion. "Did you put a collar on him to keep him docile?" He peered at Yon, attempting to find whatever machine had knocked him out so he wasn't fighting the Skrull.

"Make yourself at home." Collector talked over his shipmate. "There are four tiny bunks. One is mine and one is his. That leaves two for you all to decide how to share...." He closed the hatch as soon as al the luggage had been transferred over. "The ships are uncoupling..." he said to Grandmaster.

"Right!" The more talkative of the two made his way to the cockpit and began drifting away from the Skrull ship. Once satisfied that there was a safe distance between them, he set the course into the navigational system. "And it's off to Terra we go!" He turned toward Talos. "So, really? How did you capture and tame Yon-Rogg? He's not going to wake up and murder us all in our sleep, is he?"

"There was little capturing or taming involved," Talos stated. "He no longer belongs to the Kree."

"He is our son," Soren said, plain and simple. She turned to her husband. "For the time being, I think it's best if you share a bunk with him and I share one with Lyja. We can always switch around later if needed."

Grandmaster blinked at that. "Well... okay, then. I guess that means you have him under control and no need to worry..." he said, in a tone of voice that suggested he completely did not believe that, but would go along with it until proven correct in his assumption.

Collector shook his head. "So distrustful. Not everyone is out to get you... just ninety-percent of anyone you've ever met." His tone was snarky amusement.

"Hush, you. You aren't viewed much more favorably. At least the people after me are mere peasants, instead of the more aggressive types that you get on the bad side of." Grandmaster sniffed.

Talos shook his head but didn't voice a comment as he carried Yon over to the bunk and settled his son down carefully; still holding onto Yon as he'd promised his son he would.

Yon had woken at hearing all the voices but hadn't felt inclined to say anything or defend himself, so had kept his eyes closed and continued to snuggle against his father. At the comment about getting on the bad side of aggressive types, he couldn't keep quiet. As Talos was settling him in place, he whispered, "Do you think we need to be worried about any of _their_ enemies coming after them and us getting caught in the cross-fire?"

Stroking his fingers through Yon's hair, Talos answered in a voice that was just as quiet, "It's possible. We'll stay on our guard, son. Keep the family safe." He brushed a kiss over Yon's head.

Yon pressed into the kiss. He hadn't realized how touch starved for affection he was until Yon and Soren (and even Lyja) had started holding his hand, rubbing him and kissing him. Now, he didn't want it to stop. He shifted so he could wrap his arms around his father and hug tightly. "How long till we get to Terra?" he asked, a little bit more loudly.

"If we don't run into any issues, we should reach Terra in about three days. Assuming we only use light speed sparingly and not the entire trip," Grandmaster said. "My name is En Dwi Gast, by the way. You may call me En Dwi, or En, or you may call me Grandmaster; that's my title. Or it was." He chuckled.

The Collector snorted under his breath. "I am Taneleer. You might have heard of me spoken of as the Collector."

"I am Soren," Soren said. "My husband is Talos. Our daughter is Lyja. Our son is Yon."

Talos settled himself on the bunk next to his son so he could wrap his arms tight around him. He continued to press loving, affectionate kisses to Yon's head, stroking his fingers through his son's hair.

En Dwi nodded. "So... you've adopted one of the most feared men in the Kree military. But... oddly enough, he doesn't seem that frightening. What happened? If I'm not being too nosy."

"Of course, you are," Taneleer muttered, but still looked at the small family with curiosity.

Talos tightened his arms around his son and leaned in to whisper in Yon's ear, "What would you like me to say to them, son? This is yours to tell...or not, if you choose."

"Tell them whatever sets them at ease, Papa. You saved my life. I don't mind if the whole universe knows that. And if they know the less flattering parts as well... it isn't like I haven't hurt people. Maybe knowing how I was brought low will help them get over their fear..." Yon said softly, with a hint of sadness.

Talos stroked his son's hair, even as he spoke in a louder voice to the two men. "The Kree no longer have a hold on him. Their conditioning is broken." He didn't add that his son now needed to be put back together.

En Dwi wrinkled his nose. "Conditioning? Nasty stuff, that. There are a lot of people who might not believe that everything he did was due to conditioning." His voice suggested he was one of them, but he didn't say so out loud. "But I suppose that doesn't really matter. A change of heart and a desire not to let the Kree Supreme Intelligence direct his actions is enough to warrant a fresh start. Especially with two parental units who will step in and hopefully direct in the right way, if needed... You all hungry? We stocked up on several Terran snacks when we realized we'd be going that direction. Figure it might be good to accustom ourselves to the cuisine and if we like it, we can stock up on it!" He grinned gleefully and pulled out a box of Twinkies.

"That is not food!" Taneleer frowned. "That is... it can't be healthy! You cannot even pronounce half of the items listed in the ingredients!"

Soren sat down carefully on the bed on the other side of Yon, wrapping her arm around her son and pulling her daughter down onto her lap. "Perhaps if there's something a bit closer to what we might be used to. I am not certain what unfamiliar food is likely to do to any of us."

"Ah... no one likes to live dangerously, I take it? Very well. I did happen to stock some items that... Carol, was it? Said that you would be familiar with and like. The food storage is in that smaller cubicle next to the bunk you've chosen. If you get hungry, feel free to look through the supplies and pick something you think will fit your needs," En Dwi said in a careless tone that indicated he was through with being helpful.

"I am going to my bunk and read, if you have any need of me," Taneleer said, disappearing into his chosen bunk.

"How are you feeling, son?" Talos gently stroked his fingers through Yon's hair. "Are you hungry?"

Yon swallowed, pressing his head into Talos's fingers. "No, sir... not yet, anyway..." he said softly. They'd fed him quite a bit when they'd decided to take care of him, and he hadn't expended that much energy. Hadn't had a chance to build up an appetite.

"Tell me when you do," Talos directed softly, stroking his fingers along Yon's cheeks and his forehead. "I will take care of and fulfill all your needs. I love you."

"Okay, Papa..." Yon agreed easily, sighing happily at the affection.

"How are your wounds?" Talos asked softly, continuing to stroke and rub his son's face and hair.

Soren squeezed Yon gently from the other side, while Lyja reached over and took her brother's hand.

"I feel a little stiff. But most of the pain is manageable, if not gone." Yon paused. "I was very lucky not to have been injured worse. A lot of that is due to how quickly you got to me, I think...."

"We saw the Kree chasing you," Soren said softly. "Your papa didn't hesitate to try and protect you. Even before we knew our son was on board."

"I don't know how I could have ever thought you were the one who was wrong... the one who was bad. You've proven how wrong I was to believe such a lie..." Yon swallowed hard. "I'm sorry I was such a fool. Please forgive my ignorance?"

Talos brushed a kiss over Yon's forehead. "You are completely forgiven for every crime you have ever committed, son. This is a clean slate. A chance to start over. You are with your family now."

Yon closed his eyes and pressed into the kiss. "I will try so hard to make you proud of me. Happy that you took me as yours...."

Soren leaned over to kiss his cheek. "We are already happy we took you as ours," she murmured. "You belong with us now."

"I love you, Mama... Papa..." Yon squeezed his sister's hand. "...Lyja..."

"I love you, my brother." Lyja leaned over to hug him.

Soren and Talos reiterated how much they loved him, stroking his hair and the side of his face.

Yon was content to lay quietly on the bunk.

En Dwi was not as content to remain quiet. "So... when we get to Terra, who are you meeting?"

"An old friend," Talos answered. "One who we have not seen in a number of years."

"Does he know...?" He waved vaguely at Yon. It wasn't clear if he meant 'know Yon personally', or if he meant 'know you adopted a former Kree enemy'.

"He met my son previously," Yon answered calmly. "Him being part of our family is a new development and one that will likely surprise him."

"He ain't the shoot first, ask questions later type of guy, is he?" En Dwi asked. "I can keep the ship cloaked for the most part. But once it's off...."

"When we get close enough to Terra, we will ask Carol to head down to warn him and the rest of his people of our arrival," Soren said.

"Yeah. That's probably best. Don't know how long we'll stick around, but if we get shot down, we don't have a choice..." En Dwi muttered.

"Unless things have drastically changed there, the people I know won't attack unless you're clearly a threat," Talos stated. Throughout the entire conversation, he was still touching and stroking Yon's hair and over his face...similar to his wife's actions.

"Guess we'll see..." En Dwi made a few corrections to the navigation, then stood. "We're on autopilot. We'll be reaching an asteroid field in about four hours, so I'm going to take a nap, so I'm recharged for it. If you need something, feel free to find it on your own. Otherwise, only get me if it is an emergency." He gave a faint smile and went to his own bunk.

Soren squeezed Yon's hand and then said, "I will gather some food. You do not need to eat if you are not hungry, Yon. I believe it is time for some more of the ointment to be used, Talos." She looked towards her husband, assuming he would be treating their son.

"We can eat later, if you want to retire to your bunk," Talos said, to give his son some privacy while he treated Yon.

"I'm not hungry yet, mama," Yon said, in a peaceful voice. "But if you and papa want, I can try to eat later..." he said. The truth was, he'd got used to eating sparingly when he ran from the Kree. He didn't always have the luxury of a meal available during that time.

"It's important you try to eat regularly, son." Soren leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'll take Lyja to get something to eat while your father takes care of treating your wounds."

Lyja hugged Yon tight. "I love you." She nuzzled his cheek before getting up to join her mother.

"Yes, mama," Yon agreed quietly, kissing her cheek, then kissing Lyja's cheek. Once they had left the room, he looked at his father. "What do you need me to do, Papa?"

"Just let me take care of you." Talos began to carefully remove his son's clothing, giving him the chance to see the scars Yon carried along with the recent injuries. "Some of these haven't healed correctly. Do they still pain you?"

"I... uh... don't know?" Yon blushed faintly. "I kinda learned how to push down any pain that wasn't an obvious sign of fresh injury or excruciating, so if they do still hurt, I've got really used to it." He snorted softly.

Talos began to gently rub the ointment into the still healing injuries. "If you start noticing it, I want you to tell me, son. I won't leave you in pain."

"Okay, Papa. I'll try and pay attention. Let you know if any of them still hurt. Not sure what can be done if they do, but I'll let you know...." Yon smiled crookedly, shifting whichever way was needed for Talos to reach the injuries he was treating. "Thanks for... for taking care of me..." He bit his lip, then smiled again.

Talos gently stroked the side of his face. "You are my son. I will always take care of you," he promised. "Keep you safe. Make sure you can never be taken away from me."

Yon nodded, pressing his face into Talos' hand. "I guess it's... it's just hard to fathom, is all. For years, we were enemies, mostly because of my actions and... all it took was you seeing that I was running from the Kree and you immediately decided you would help me and make me yours. Most people would just say I was getting what I deserved. Might help me survive but wouldn't bring me into their family...."

Talos' smile was a little sad. "When you woke up and told us you wanted us to do whatever it took to get information, even if it cost you the rest of yourself...I didn't see an enemy anymore. All I saw was someone who'd been deeply hurt... who needed a family... People to love him."

Yon blinked at that. "You didn't think I was trying to trick you? Even a little?" He swallowed. "I... I still wish you would have tried to get some of the information. I don't know that I'll ever remember it on my own and it might be important. But... knowing you want to protect me and take care of me and love me... I'm thankful for that. I never thought I'd have that. Especially after I ran. I thought I'd be alone the rest of my life and didn't expect to live long. You gave me hope, Papa...."

"At first," Talos answered. "When I asked you about turning on the Kree. I thought it might be a trick. But you were obviously hurt. Obviously broken." He brushed his lips over his son's forehead. "We will put you back together again, son. _The right way_. You don't have to worry about going down the wrong path again, because you'll have me to draw you back."

"That helps, Papa. Knowing if I start doing something that is wrong, you'll stop me. That you'll help me make better decisions and direct me, so I don't go the wrong way... It helps a lot," Yon admitted. Even if Talos's direction and guidance involved spanking him again, he preferred that than to go down the path he'd been on.

"I will always help you, my son," Talos promised. He carefully helped Yon to roll over, so he could start rubbing in the ointment on the injuries on his son's back.

"I hope I don't disappoint you..." Yon whispered.

"You won't," Talos promised. "You couldn't. I could never be disappointed with my son."

"I hope..." Yon whispered. It was easy to say he'd never be disappointed, but Talos hadn't been his father long enough for him to do anything that might be disappointing.

Talos carefully turned Yon over, so that they were face to face, and looked into his son's eyes as he said seriously, "There might be times I'd be disappointed in your behavior, but I would _never_ be disappointed in _you_."

Yon stared up into his father's eyes, then nodded silently. That made sense; and helped him feel a lot more at ease. "If my behavior disappoints you, that is when you correct me?" he whispered.

"Yes, son." Talos kissed his forehead. "And if it becomes necessary, we will sit and talk about what happened and why you are being corrected."

Yon let out a soft sigh and pressed forward into the kiss. "That makes me feel better... I still feel so guilty about what I did to you. Knowing you will step in and help me not do the same mistakes again... feels right."

While he'd planned on dressing his son, Talos decided comfort was more important and wrapped his arms tightly around Yon. "You don't need to feel guilty, son," he murmured into Yon's ear. "You are forgiven. You are loved. I promise I will not allow anyone to harm you again. Or to take you from me."

"I believe you, Papa... I know I'm forgiven. It's hard not to feel guilty, though. I hurt so many people. Only knowing you have me and won't let me go helps..." Yon admitted.

"We were at war, son." Talos stroked through Yon's hair and down his back. "I hurt people too. You are not the only one to make mistakes."

"How do you let it go... move on? I never let myself think about it before, but now, that's almost all I can think about," Yon admitted.

"It's not always easy," Talos admitted. "But war makes good people do bad things. Even if it's not possible to change the past, I can do good in the future."

Yon nodded. "Do you think I can do good?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," Talos answered, without hesitation. "I believe you can do good. I believe you can be good."

Yon smiled at that confident belief in him. "I'll do my best to live up to that belief..." he said quietly.

Talos kissed his hair. "I love you, son."

Yon snuggled close. "Love you too, Papa... still amazed that... this all happened so quickly. That you were able to forgive me so quickly and want me and adopt me and love me so quickly and easily. Feel overwhelmed..." he admitted.

"It is easy to forgive you, son." Talos cuddled Yon tightly to himself and rested his forehead against his son's. "I wanted you in my family almost as soon as you woke up the first time."

"Why?" Yon asked, in a tiny voice. It wasn't that he didn't believe Talos, he did, but his experience his whole life had been one that any affection or love given was earned. And even then, it wasn't unending. What had he done to deserve Talos and Soren wanting him and taking him for theirs?

"I didn't see an enemy when I looked at you," Talos replied quietly. "When you woke and I saw how they'd broken you, I knew. Knew you needed a family. To be loved and cared for. My instincts rarely steer me wrong."

"A lot of people would have seen an enemy, even if they were broken and not able to fight any longer. Their first instinct wouldn't have been that I needed a family to love and care for me. They would have just viewed it as me receiving what I deserved for everything I'd done..." Yon pointed out.

"As I said, son. You are not the only one to do bad things. I received a second chance when I was reunited with your mama and your sister. I could never deny you the same." Talos situated his son a bit more firmly on his lap. "If you need help, if you still need loving, family correction for a while, then I can take you over my knee periodically for a reminder spanking. One that will help you remember where you now belong and who you now belong with, as well as cementing in your head that things are different now."

Yon snuggled a bit more closely after being situated. "Maybe that would help. I'm just... I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that things are so different now. That I'm not alone and I have you and Mama and Lyja. Especially cuz it's so hard to understand why, or how you could want me just because... because you saw how broken I was. It doesn't make sense to me. Never... Never experienced such quick acceptance and love before. I'm not trying to be difficult, Papa... honest. I just... I don't know how to... how to not wonder about it. That's all..." Yon frowned, not sure he was making sense. Wondering if he was being ungrateful for even questioning it. It just had happened so quickly. Talos had decided he was worth keeping and adopting and taking care of and loving with little more than a glance and finding out that the Kree had turned on him. But it was a bit more than a 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' type scenario. Life didn't work like that. Did it? He couldn't see anything in himself worth loving, even if the Kree had broken him. Why would Talos and his family spend a few short moments of finding out he was running from the Kree and decide that meant he would make the perfect son?

Talos wrapped his arms tighter around Yon. "The very first moment I held Lyja in my arms, I was swamped with a wave of protective love. She was _mine_. I felt the exact same way about you. When you fell asleep again. Those emotions were exactly the same. I knew I loved you. I knew you were _mine_. I think, sometimes, you don't need to wait or second-guess yourself. I didn't need to think it through." He let his fingers stroke down the nape of his son's neck. "I knew you were mine that very moment."

"It was... what the Terrans call... Fate?" Yon slanted his head quizzically, looking up into Talos's eyes. "You just knew, even if there wasn't a reason for it and it happened fast, it just... _was_?" He wasn't certain that was any easier to understand, but at least it wasn't confusing.

"It wasn't the first time I felt a draw to you." Talos let his other hand cup the side of Yon's face. "It's true that there was a lot of bad history between us, but I felt a pull. That tugging, before now." He gently squeezed the nape of his son's neck. "This was the first time I was able to follow that feeling through to its conclusion. To bring you home."

Yon let out a tiny sigh as his face was cupped, as his nape was squeezed. "If you'd dragged me home before then, I would have thought you'd lost your mind..." He snorted faintly. "I wasn't ready to hear the truth yet. I had to be broken first, before I could realize what was staring me in the face." Yon snuggled again. "I think I will need help, Papa. At least for a little while. Until my head stops trying to convince me I'm going to lose all of this...."

Talos' thumb stroked the side of Yon's face as he gently threaded his fingers through his son's hair and gripped the nape of his neck. "From now on, wherever we are, you will be sharing sleeping arrangements with me. And when it is just us, as it is now, I think leaving you as you are now, naked and without barriers, would be best. It will give me access to every part of you for affection and if correction is needed? That will be easy, too."

Yon relaxed at the words. "Okay, Papa... that... makes me feel better..." he said, almost shyly, before laying his head against Talos's chest and cuddling. The thought that he'd be exposed and vulnerable to his father didn't bother him. The thought that the other man would be able to help him easily made him feel too good to be bothered by a lack of modesty or privacy.

Talos rubbed his hand in slow, large circles over his son's back, his fingers lightly grazing the crest of Yon's bottom as he cuddled him tightly. Every so often, he pressed a kiss to the top or either side of his son's head. His other hand continued to gently squeeze and scruff Yon's neck.

Yon shivered at the attention. It helped him feel safe and wanted. He found his eyes drifting shut once again. "Love you, Papa..." he murmured, before falling asleep once again.

Talos shifted them carefully, still stroking and caressing even as his son slept. He only moved them enough to make sure Yon wouldn't get stiff or sore from sleeping in an awkward position.

***

They had travelled for several days; and as there wasn't much to do on the ship other than talk, eat, read or play games, Yon had got a lot of rest. Mainly lying in his father's arms while Talos was affectionate. Sometimes laying in his mother's arms, as Soren also liked to be affectionate with him (although it was different with her somehow). He'd even cuddled with Lyja once or twice and fallen asleep (with her, it was very different; he felt protective of her and tended to cuddle her, as opposed to her cuddling him).

Carol had phased into the ship a few times so she could eat and talk and rest, but she mostly stayed outside the ship, guiding it to Terra and protecting it from things that could hurt it. When they got within range of the satellites of the planet, she phased into the ship and pushed En Dwi out of his captain's seat. "I need to contact Fury..." she said, without preamble. Changing the settings on the communications device, she began trying to reach her old friend.

At this point, Talos was the one who held Yon on his lap. He and Soren had discussed it and decided Talos would be a more calming presence if their son felt nervous or agitated. In preparation for their eventual landing, Yon was clothed, but Talos had untucked his shirt so he could slide his arm up under it and rub over bare skin.

It didn't take long for Fury's voice to crackle over the speakers. "Who is this and how do you know this frequency?" he asked.

"Hello, Fury. Do you have any children yet, who call you Fury? And how is Goose?" Carol asked, in a teasing voice, waiting to see if he connected the dots and realized who she was.

" _Carol_." Fury sounded surprised, but very pleased to hear from her. "I figure you don't need a ship to fly. Can I assume what the satellites are picking up is with you?"

"You can definitely assume that..." Carol's smile could be heard in her voice. "And I don't need a ship to fly, but I'm with six other individuals who don't have the ability to self-propel through space, so they need the ship. Do we have permission to come down? I heard you have your own landing pad..." she teased.

"Yeah. These are the coordinates." Fury gave them out, before adding, "You'll have a bit of a welcome party. Are there any surprises I should be aware of?"

Carol paused, glancing back at Talos and his family. "Well... yes. But I'm not sure it is my place to tell you..." She motioned Talos forward.

Unwilling to let go of Yon even for a second (he wanted to soothe his son), Talos lifted Yon into his arms as he moved forward towards the communicator. "Hello, Fury. It's been a long time," he said calmly.

"Talos." Fury laughed. "It's good to hear from both of you. I assume Soren and your daughter are two of the others Carol mentioned?"

"Yes." Talos paused. "And also, my son. Yon."

There was silence for a few moments and then a very wry, "You'll be in good company here, then. Let's say we've become all about giving second chances. You can meet my kids. My brothers and sisters, too."

Yon had been waiting anxiously to hear how Fury handled the news of his adoption. At the easy acceptance, he slumped in Talos' arms, relief causing him to turn cuddly.

Carol slanted her head. "So... do your kids call you Fury?" she asked impishly.

"No! I call him Daddy!" a decidedly female voice interrupted, before continuing, "Who's Goose, Daddy?"

Talos kissed Yon's head, still gently stroking under his son's shirt, rubbing the bare skin of Yon's back and stomach.

"Do you remember I told you about Carol Danvers and the Kree, Kara?" Fury addressed his daughter. "Goose was the cat who ate the bad guys for us."

There was a long quiet pause, then, "...That's _awe_ some! Whisper only eats mice! Where is he now?"

Another voice, obviously fond of the female, broke in, "...Why don't we let Dad finish his phone call before bombarding him with questions about his cat, Kar-bear?" Sounds of movement were heard and then it was quiet again.

Carol laughed. "I knew your kids weren't gonna call you Fury. No matter what you said. You big Teddy-bear. We'll be pulling up to your door in about thirty minutes. See you then!"

"You'll be getting a lot of people coming out to see you. Just so you know," Fury warned, before he signed off.

***

Yondu settled himself on his bed and carefully adjusted Peter's position over his lap, rubbing his son's lower back and over his bottom gently. As promised, he'd kept up with the daily spankings, warming Peter's bottom every morning and often in the evening, too. His son's bottom was still a dusky pink in color from the previous day.

Peter shivered as he was rubbed. His skin was so sensitive now, all it took was Yondu gently touching or cupping him and he felt the stinging tingle. It didn't hurt. Not much. He wasn't being punished, so Yondu was careful to only reignite the sting enough to keep his attention on who he belonged to. He put his hands behind his back so Yondu could hold them, as he'd done every day and evening when Yondu put him in position. "Yours, daddy..." he whispered softly, content and happy.

"Mine, kid. Mine _ferever_ ," Yondu promised. He took hold of Peter's hands, clasping them gently, and then delivered a light smack to his son's bottom. He repeated the swat and then paused to rub.

Peter couldn't help the tiny whimper that escaped at the gentle smack- he really was sensitive- but he didn't try and get away. In fact, he seemed to relax as the sting was rekindled. He was quickly falling into submission, needing his father's control.

Yondu swatted down to Peter's thighs, giving each a light squeeze before he shifted his son forward enough to expose his sit spots. He landed two light smacks each and then began again from the crest.

Peter shivered and whined softly as he felt each swat. "Yours, daddy..." he repeated, in a soft, almost drugged sounding voice. It hadn't taken him long at all to reach an emotional point where he couldn't do anything without Yondu's help. His father taking over and dominating him had a way of bringing that type of submission out of him; had a way of making him need the older man to even function.

Yondu went down to Peter's thighs again and then began to steadily swat his sit spots. "Gonna make sure ya feel who owns ya whenever ya sit down," he promised. "Yer _mine_ , kid. I'll keep yer backside warm so ya won't be able ter walk without feeling my control."

"...Kin do nuthin without feelin' yer control..." Peter mumbled softly. "...Like 'm sposed ta. Think bout ya every move ah make..." He was shifting and wriggling slightly, tears squeezing out of his eyes. His bottom was so tender and sensitive, it was almost agitated; but he didn't ask for Yondu to stop. That was entirely up to his father. Although he was tempted to ask if he could just wear boxer shorts around the compound and avoid wearing normal pants. Just so nothing too harsh rubbed against him. Or stay in their room with no pants at all. He didn't mind if Yondu saw his pink backside on display, after all.

"When ya squirm in yer seat, yer'll be squirming cause ya feel my control." Yondu gently parted Peter's legs and began to lightly swat his inner thighs, turning them the same shade of dark pink as the rest of his bottom.

Peter whined softly, but obediently kept his legs parted so that Yondu could continue to smack the sensitive area. His stomach was doing needy flips by this point, his whole body feeling Yondu's dominance over it. "...Yours, daddy... you control all of me... all the time..." he sniffled, in a tiny, needy voice.

"I _do_ control all of ya, _all_ the time," Yondu promised, keeping Peter's legs parted so he could continue smacking. The swats were still light, but the skin was turning a darker pink under his palm, nearly red. "Yer body knows along with yer mind. Knows who owns ya. Later this evening, before I turn ya over my knee, I'm gonna scrub ya in th' bath," he promised. "But when I dry ya off, I'm gonna leave yer bottom wet."

Peter shivered and whined, his body slumping further over Yondu's lap and his hands clenching around the hand holding them. "...Yes, daddy..." he whispered, his tone giving away how much he needed what Yondu was planning.

Satisfied with the shade of red on Peter's inner thighs, Yondu's spanking hand returned to his son's bottom, now beginning to swat a bit harder; a bit more firmly. "Gonna keep ya in hand all day," he promised. "Be holding ya hand, like yer my little boy again. Sit ya on my lap when we eat. So's everyone else knows who owns ya."

The shiver that tore through Peter's body at that promise was so hard, only Yondu's tight grip kept him from falling off the older man's lap. Peter groaned. "...Your little boy?" he asked, in a tiny voice. He wondered if it was wrong to want to be that so badly. He wasn't de-aged any longer, after all (and hadn't ever been de-aged to a small child), so wanting to be treated like he was a little boy and having Yondu control him in every way, including holding his hand whenever he went somewhere and holding him and feeding him... was wanting that something he should do?

"My little boy," Yondu replied. "Ain't gonna let go of ya. And if ya do let go of me? I'll treat ya like my naughty little boy. Give ya a swat or two, so ya know not ta let go of yer daddy's hand."

Peter let out a tiny sob at that. "...Won't be naughty, daddy! Will hold on tight and no' leggo!" he said fervently. He wasn't exactly dropped or in a 'little' mindset, but he was as close as he could get without falling into that mindset. He was putting his life completely into his father's hands and it felt entirely too right to be worried about it.

"Good, kid. Yer'll be my little boy fer the whole day." Yondu squeezed Peter's hands. "My little boy," he added. "My little one." He gently squeezed low down on his son's thighs, feeling the heat of the reddened skin.

"...All day yers..." Peter whispered, sniffling and squirming slightly as his thighs were squeezed but not pulling away.

Yondu gave each thigh a light smack. "Who owns ya, my little boy?"

"You do, daddy!" Peter said, in a small voice, almost but not quite childish. While he wasn't 'little'... had no interest in falling into that mindset (and would act like a complete adult with anyone else, thank you very much) ... he needed to be small and young for his father. Needed to feel taken care of and like everything was in his daddy's hands.

"That's exactly right, my little boy." Yondu moved his hand up a bit and delivered a couple of light swats to Peter's sit spots. " _I_ own ya. _Every single part of ya_. Your bottom, legs, feet, tummy, shoulders...even your hair."

Peter blinked at that, unable to stop the giggle that escaped. "...My _hair_ , daddy?"

Yondu gently squeezed each of his cheeks. "Every single part of ya, my little boy. Yes, including yer hair."

Peter let out a tiny yeeping noise as his sensitive cheeks were squeezed. "... My hair, 'n my feet, 'n my legs, 'n my arms, 'n my back, 'n my bottom...." he continued quietly, in a whisper, naming all his body parts that belonged to Yondu. It was a peaceful litany. As sensitive and sore as he felt, he was relaxed and serene. "... 'll hold yer hand wherever we go and sit on yer lap like a good boy and let ya feed me what you wan' me ta eat 'n 'll 'bey you for e'rything. E'en if you make me take a nap, I'll be good for ya and snuggle up 'n sleep fer ya..." he promised.

"Yer'll be my good little boy. I know ya will." Yondu carefully shifted Peter onto his lap and in his arms, hugging his son tightly against him. Pressing a kiss to his son's cheek, he added, "Yer fingers and toes, too."

Peter grinned at that, nuzzling against Yondu's cheek in response. "... All of me, Daddy. All of me is yers and you decide what happens to it..." he whispered, leaning heavily against the older man, leaving his body entirely open and vulnerable. He didn't care that he was naked. All of him was Yondu's, so he wasn't allowed to hide any part of himself.

Yondu stroked his hands over Peter's body, every so often giving a gentle squeeze. "Snuggle first, then get ya dressed," he said.

"I like snuggles, daddy..." Peter whispered, giving a happy sigh as Yondu continued to claim and control him.

"So, do I, my little boy." Yondu let his hands rub gently over his son's bottom. "Think I should give ya one of yer presents early," he commented.

"Before Christmas? _Really_? _Please_ Daddy?" Peter couldn't help but bounce in place, even if it caused the sting on his bottom to flare.

Yondu chuckled at that. "Jus one. Cause I think it'd be useful today." He stood up, carrying Peter in his arms towards his closet.

Peter wrapped his arms around Yondu's shoulders and held on as he was carried. He knew he was fully able to walk on his own two feet, but Yondu taking care of him was what both needed.

Opening the closet, Yondu took out a wrapped gift and then sat down with Peter once more, handing it to him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Daddy..." Peter wrapped his arms around Yondu and gave him a tight hug, kissing his cheek and snuggling for several moments before he let go long enough to tear the paper off the gift. He pulled out the pajamas and began to examine them. "...Soft..." he said quietly, admiring the almost silky texture of the flannel. "...And warm!"

"Take a look at the back," Yondu suggested, squeezing down his son's arms.

Giving Yondu a curious look, Peter unfolded the pajamas, noticing that they were a onesie... and that the back had a flap that could be unbuttoned easily. "So, you can get to my bare bottom easier?" he guessed, with a tiny smile.

"Figured ya don't want me stripping ya in front of everyone," Yondu commented, kissing his son's forehead. He began to dress Peter in the pajamas.

Peter nodded, doing his best to cooperate while Yondu dressed him. "These are perfect, daddy... thank you for thinkin of me. I don't like no one but you to see my bare backside. You and Papa. Maybe Gamora. But that's different..." Peter blushed.

"It ain't something I like either, kid." Yondu finished dressing his son and then cuddled Peter a bit tighter. "Ya belong to me."

"Forever..." Peter agreed, snuggling close. "They really are comfy... soft 'n warm..." he added.

"Good." Yondu kissed his son's head and stroked his hand over Peter's back.

"Do you want me to wear these the rest of the day?" Peter asked curiously.

"Yeah," Yondu answered. "We got no reason ta leave the compound today."

"We can just hang out with family... but mostly each other..." he said bashfully.

"Exactly, son. I ain't letting ya go," Yondu promised.

"I love you, daddy." Peter leaned in and kissed Yondu on the cheek. "Thank you for this."

"I love ya, son. So very much." Yondu kissed his forehead. "Happy ya like your present. Course, it ain't the only gift yer gonna get."

Peter grinned at that, but said seriously, "Not the most important, either. Long as I have you back as my daddy... don't really need for nuthin."

"I ain't ever gonna let go of ya again," Yondu promised. "We ain't ever gonna be separated again."

Peter snuggled a bit more. "What now, daddy?" he asked quietly.

"Breakfast now." Yondu stood and, as he'd promised, took hold of his son's hand to lead him from the room.

Peter grasped his father's hand and squeezed gently, then followed along quietly. He wasn't phased in the least by letting everyone see that his father was in complete control and treating him like a child.

Yondu led his son to the table and, once there, sat down and drew Peter onto his lap, seating them with Drax, Kraglin and Mantis.

"Hi, Krag... Mantis... Papa..." Peter grinned impishly, then snuggled back against Yondu almost proudly.

Kraglin chuckled softly at his little brother's antics. "Mornin', Petey... That's an interestin' outfit you got on. Is it new?"

Peter straightened his back and puffed out his chest like a peacock. "It's a Christmas gift from Daddy. It's very comfortable. Plan to wear it whenever we're home and not going anywhere outside..." he declared.

Kraglin nodded. "Don't blame ya, if it's that comfortable..." he said, putting enough food onto a plate for Yondu and Peter to share. It was obvious his little brother was in one of his moods where he needed their daddy to take care of him.

Kara was sitting on her father's lap, as she often did. Even when she wasn't feeling young and helpless, she tended to like to sit on Fury's lap, just because she liked being close to him and the affection always felt nice, even when she was in her adult mindset. She slanted her head, looking Peter over from head to toe, then reached over and ran a hand tentatively down his arm. "That's really soft..." she said, impressed. She turned toward her father. "Can I have one, daddy?" Her eyes were wide and pleading.

Yondu began to feed Peter, even as Drax reached over and gently squeezed his younger son's shoulder. "You are happy. That makes me happy," he said simply.

Fury smiled and stroked his fingers through Kara's hair, gently snuggling his daughter back against his stomach. "After breakfast, I think you can have one of your Christmas presents early," he said, leaving unsaid that she wasn't the only one of his children that he'd got the pajamas for.

Peter nodded at Drax. "Really happy, papa..." He reached up and squeezed Drax's hand. Just because he needed his Daddy to take control over him didn't mean he didn't need the rest of his family. He just needed them all in different ways.

Kara squealed and grinned brightly, immediately tucking into her breakfast, only refraining from stuffing it into her mouth overly fast because she knew her father would protest such an action.

Trip snorted at his sister's antics, giving his father a knowing look. If Fury planned for her to open a gift early, that likely meant she had a 'Onesie' for herself. And knowing their father, all the kids had one. In, fact.... He glanced around the table with slightly narrowed eyes at all the parents. "Why do I think all of us have at least one present that we might get to open early?" he said, just loudly enough to carry around the room.

"Probably cuz all of you do?" Logan said impishly; making it clear he'd got his own 'kids' a gift of the same sort, even though they were parents themselves.

Bucky blinked at that. " _All_ of us?" he asked, in amusement.

Steve chuckled at his brother and best friend's response and grinned across the table at Bucky. "It certainly looks comfortable," he commented. He reached out and stroked a hand down Jessica's arm, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and snuggled her against his side.

Jessica let herself be pulled into the snuggle, nuzzling her father's shoulder before shifting over enough to be sitting on his lap. "It does look very comfortable. Are we planning to leave the family floor at all today?" she asked curiously, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I'm not leaving it..." Peter declared, snuggling closer to Yondu.

"I'm sure that, unless there's an emergency, there's no need for most of us to leave the family floor," Coulson commented, gently pulling Bobbi onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yay! Family Fun day! After you open your early gift, Cassie, we can make hot chocolate and watch the Nightmare Before Christmas!" Scott turned to his daughter and waggled his eyebrows.

Mike laughed at his brother's antics. "That actually sounds good to me too. You up for it, hotshot?" He turned toward Ace.

Ace nodded immediately. "Uh-uh. Just right for getting into the Christmas mood," he said happily.

"We could all set up in the family room and play Christmas movies all day," Peter P. commented, with a grin to Laura. Despite aging up, he and Harry always made an effort to include the younger ones. He turned his grin to his 'twin'. "What do you think, Kaine? Any particular movie you want to watch after Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"I... I always liked 'It's a Wonderful Life'" Kaine admitted, almost shyly.

Karen nodded. "That's one of my favorites..." she encouraged the younger boy.

"Okay." Peter nodded. "So, we make a list of everyone's favorite movies and set it up in the family room with popcorn, hot chocolate, plenty of nibbles...people can come in and out as they want." He nudged his best friend.

Harry nodded. "Sounds good to me. We'll start on getting it set up after cleanup." He smiled at Werner. "You're going to join in, right?"

"Uh...I guess...." Werner looked a little bit lost, not wanting to outright admit he was still playing catchup on his schoolwork; though he was getting there. Maybe he could join them for a while.

"I think that sounds like an excellent idea. A few days break from work won't hurt any of us..." Tony said, wrapping an arm around Werner, making it more of an order than a suggestion. "If we have to play catch-up after, I'm sure we can all help each other as much as possible..." he added, making it clear he'd help his son with his schoolwork as much as he was able, so Werner wouldn't fall too far behind.

"I've already informed the company that only essential personnel needed to come in for work the next week and a half. Everyone else is to take time to be with their families. And even the essential personnel, like security guards, were told to schedule in such a way that they all have at least one day off to be with their family," Pepper said quietly.

Bruce slanted his head. "Does that mean my sister will be spending as much time with the family as possible?" He smiled.

Pepper nodded. "Yep. You're all stuck with me."

Werner took a deep breath and snuggled into Tony, letting his head rest on his father's shoulder. He was getting better at assuming the contact was heartfelt and wouldn't be pulled away if he responded.

"If I don't have to order you to take the time off, that's always a good thing." Steve smiled at his other daughter, but it was clear he meant what he said. He'd make sure Pepper took the time off one way or another.

Pepper grinned impishly at Steve. "Yeah. No one can say I don't learn quick..." she teased.

Everett slanted his head and glanced toward T'Challa. "Are we bringing the Queen Mother here for the holidays? Or going there for at least a few days, so we can be with her and your people?" he asked curiously. He had no doubt that whatever T'Challa, Nakia, Shuri and Erik did... he would be expected to accompany them.

"Mother will be coming here," T'Challa answered. "Although the plan is to accompany her back to Wakanda for a few days after the celebrations are over."

Everett nodded. "That's good... She needs to meet the rest of the family..." He smiled crookedly. He didn't have any other family to introduce to everyone. T'Challa and the rest of his adopted family were it.

Lorelei looked at Odin hesitantly. "Are we to join in the celebrations as well?" What she meant to ask was if they were heading back to Asgard for any reason, for even a short while, but was reluctant to ask, because then it would become clear she was afraid to do that. She hadn't left Asgard on the best of terms.

"We will remain here for the celebrations, with the rest of the family," Odin said, leaving unsaid that he wanted all his children to be happy at this time of year. He reached out and squeezed Lorelei's and Loki's hands, as they sat on either side of him.

Lorelei smiled at that relief clear in her eyes.

Loki grinned. "I never get tired of celebrating with the family..." he admitted.

Grant smiled at that before looking at his father. "Are Grandpa and Uncle Paul and Aunt Cath coming back to visit?" he asked hopefully.

"They'll be arriving tomorrow," Coulson answered, with a warm smile for his son. He shifted to brush a hand down each of his children's arms, his look loving and filled with affection.

Bobbi snuggled close, letting her head rest on Coulson's shoulder. She'd finished eating what she could, making certain she'd kept all the food items and drink she'd chosen ulcer friendly. Now, she was just waiting for everyone else to finish so she could begin clean-up.

Gamora slanted her head. "It will be good to see them again..." she said.

"Very..." Nebula agreed.

Coulson smiled. "I know they're looking forward to seeing you all again."

Wanda was cuddled close to her papa, nearly on Clint's lap; the only reason she wasn't was due to knowing they'd be clearing up soon. But she was in the sort of mood where it was clear she would be snuggling up to him the moment they were all settled.

Clint smiled, kissing the top of Wanda's head and tugging her onto his lap. Nearly done eating or not, he couldn't help but respond to the way she was acting. He glanced around to see who all was still eating.

Wanda snuggled happily on her father's lap, letting out a tiny contented sound that was nearly a purr.

Most everyone had finished eating and a few people were starting to clear away plates.

Sharon stood and began gathering all the used plates and silverware from whoever was finished. "I'll take care of clean-up, since I didn't help with breakfast. You all go do what you need to do to get ready. Just save me a place to sit so I can watch the movie!" she said cheerfully. She didn't mind cleaning up. She needed to feel useful and since she wasn't going to be allowed to work for at least another three weeks, if not longer, while she recuperated from her injury... the least she could do was clear the table.

Maria stood to join her sister. "I'll help, since I didn't do anything with breakfast either." She began gathering glasses.

Tony grinned and stood up. "Thank you! C'mon, kiddies. I have something for each of you to open..." he said to Werner and Harry. He smiled as Pepper got up to join them.

Bruce nodded. "it is much appreciated, ladies..." he said, to Maria and Sharon, before motioning Leo, Peter and Jemma to join him. "I have something for you too...."

Bucky laughed. "I guess it's pretty obvious we all have something to give to our kids. So why don't we all go back and give out the early gifts and agree to meet in the family room in thirty minutes to an hour?" he said, to the room at large. After what Logan had indicated, he had a feeling that once he'd given his kids their early gifts, he'd be visiting his father's room for his early gift.

It wasn't long before everyone was beginning to filter out in their family groups, many of the parents or older siblings cuddling or holding onto younger members of the family.

Holding Kara's hand, Fury reached out to wrap his arm around Ward's shoulders. "After you've each opened your gifts, I'll give you your daily dose of affection across my lap," he said softly, only loud enough for Ward to hear.

Ward nodded mutely, leaning into Fury and kissing the older man on the cheek.

Kara was shifting from foot to foot excitedly. "After I get my gift, daddy... can I put it on and then make popcorn for the movie?" she asked happily. It was clear that, though she always wanted and needed affection from her father, she didn't _need_ to be coddled _in that moment_.

Fury smiled at his daughter. "Of course." Heading into his room with each of his children, he retrieved the gifts for each of them and handed them out to his children. He gave Kara a quick squeeze and kiss to the forehead, then sat down on the edge of his bed and pulled Ward onto his lap. He didn't tend to carry out the more possessive affection in front of his other children but considering how little true affection Ward had received previous, he always made sure to give that bit of extra to him along with Kara.

Robbie whistled appreciatively as he opened his present to find his onesie. "Wow. These really are soft," he commented, running his hands over the material. "Think I might join you in wearing these, Kar-bear." He grinned at his sister.

Kara nodded. "They really are soft. I dunno if I'll want to wear normal clothes now that I have these." She quickly hugged her father, before heading for the door separating her room from her father's. "Thank you, daddy!" she called out, before disappearing into her room.

Gabe nodded. "Yes... thanks, dad..." He grinned, before wheeling toward his own room.

Brock huffed in amusement as his younger siblings all began to separate so they could change. "Did we ever thank whoever designed our quarters for giving us all connecting doors from our bedrooms into yours?" He chuckled, then held up his own onesie that was his favorite color. "I don’t know how you found these all in the right sizes and in the right colors... but they're awesome. Thanks, dad." He gave Fury a quick hug, making certain not to dislodge Ward, then went to his own room to change.

"What he said." Trip smiled. "I'll save you both a seat!"

Once all his siblings had disappeared into their own rooms to change, Ward gave his father a tiny smile. "They really are a great gift..." he said softly.

Fury smiled and let his children know he loved them as they disappeared, then stroked his fingers through Ward's hair. "I love you." He kissed his son's forehead, then began to slowly strip Ward of his clothes; that a part of the ritual almost as important as the affection itself. "My good boy," he murmured.

Ward closed his eyes at the kiss, leaning into his father's gentle stroking. "I love you, daddy..." he whispered in contentment, happy to let his father take control.

Fury kept murmuring words of love and reiterating that Ward was his good boy as he positioned his son across his lap, making sure Ward's upper body and legs were well-supported by the bed. He began to stroke, rub and knead, starting from Ward's shoulders and going down to his feet.

Ward let out tiny moans and sighs as he felt tension drain from his body at the firm affection. It didn't take long before he was completely limp and submissive for his father, accepting everything Fury decided to do. "...Yours..." he mumbled, in contentment.

"Mine," Fury responded, stroking, rubbing and kneading over every part of his son's body. "My good boy. I love you so much."

"I wanna be good for you, daddy..." Ward whispered, unable to stop from sniffling slightly. "...Never felt like I was good before. Wanna be so good for you...."

"You are," Fury promised, stroking down his thighs. "You are such a _good boy_. _My_ good boy. I won't ever let you go. Won't ever stop telling you how loved and wanted you are. How much I need you."

"Need you too... so much, daddy... need you..." Ward whimpered softly, blinking back tears as his emotions overwhelmed him. It was hard not to feel overwhelmed at knowing how much he was loved and cared about when he thought about what his life had been like before.

"I'm so glad you're in my life, son." Fury began again from the top, stroking, rubbing and squeezing. "You are so very important. To me and to the rest of our family." He stroked and rubbed and squeezed a bit more over Ward's back side, then carefully turned him over so they were face to face.

Ward smiled up at his father, but didn't move from the position he'd been placed in. He was completely exposed and vulnerable to Fury, but he trusted the older man with all of him and so made certain to not try and hide or cover himself in any way. He wanted it to be obvious he trusted his father. "I'm so thankful and glad to be with you now..." he whispered. "I can't imagine my life without you...."

"You won't ever have to," Fury promised. "Because you'll be in my life and be my son for good now." He stroked his fingers down Ward's cheeks and over his neck, down his chest and stomach, squeezing and rubbing as affectionately as he had while his son was face down.

Ward shivered, making the same soft moaning, contented sounds he made when his father was stroking, squeezing and massaging his back side. It felt so good, just being touched with affection.

Fury continued touching and stroking and squeezing and kneading; just reiterated how much he loved Ward and how important his son was to him. How good he was being.

After several minutes of the affection, Ward was flushed, his skin very sensitive. He knew that, for the rest of the day, just moving a certain way would remind him of who was in charge of him and how much he was wanted and loved. "Thank you, daddy..." he whispered.

Able to tell the point his son was at Fury leaned over and brushed a kiss across Ward's forehead and his cheeks. "When you're dressed, I have another early gift to give you," he murmured softly.

"...You're going to spoil me..." Ward said teasingly, with a hint of amusement. He was smiling broadly, though, so was obviously happy. He also was obviously not moving from his position over Fury's lap. His father was in charge and he wasn't going to move until told. Until that point in time, Fury had full access to his body to touch, stroke, squeeze and kiss.

"I enjoy spoiling you," Fury said honestly, kissing and caressing and stroking a bit more. Not for long, though, as he didn't want to make Ward over-sensitive. He finally helped his son to stand up.

Ward stood on wobbly legs, leaning into his father. "I love you, daddy..." he said softly, kissing the older man on the cheek before stepping back enough that Fury could begin to dress him.

"I love you, son. So very much so." Fury began to put the pajamas on Ward, then drew him in for another tight hug once he was dressed.

Ward snuggled close once dressed. The material was thick enough to provide warmth and protect his modesty, but was thin enough that, being held by his father, it didn't feel like there were any barriers between them at all. It was a bit surprising. "This material is really soft..." he mumbled into Fury's neck.

Fury kissed the side of his head. "It's soft and it will keep you warm," he murmured. "If you need more hands-on affection in front of the others, the flap will make it easy enough to do so and still make sure you're safe and covered."

Ward hugged harder at that promise. "Show me how it would work?" he whispered. He wanted to be sure he sat in such a way that his father could make use of the feature. He had a feeling he'd need it.

Fury gently drew Ward back to the sofa and sat down with his son on his lap. He carefully undid the flap and slid his hand inside, giving his son's bare lower back and bottom a few gentle rubs.

Ward glanced over his shoulder with curiosity. "And... no one can see my bottom, even though the flap is down, and you can rub?" he asked faintly. Not that it would bother anyone if they could see his bottom, but he was a bit shier about people seeing than some other members of the family.

"Exactly, son." Fury gently squeezed one thigh. "Your modesty will be preserved."

Ward looked back up into his father's face and grinned. "So, if I need you, I can just let you know? And we don't have to leave whatever we're doing? You can just help me then and there?" he asked softly.

Fury nodded. "And if you need to let me know but don't want to put it in words, we can come up with a codeword or something that will help," he suggested.

Ward smiled at that. "If we're at home, I don't mind if the others know I need you. In public, it might be different. But you wouldn't be able to handle me immediately if we were in public anyway, so...."

"No, but you could let me know if you needed me to take you home," Fury commented, squeezing Ward's other thigh.

"Yessir. And in those situations, maybe a code-phrase would be good. Something totally innocuous and maybe a bit silly that might cause people to look at me askance but wouldn't draw any suspicion on what it was I wanted..." Ward bit his lip. "Maybe something like, 'can we have clams for lunch or dinner?' Since I'm not ever likely to ask for that- I hate clams- but they might not know that?"

"That sounds very good to me," Fury agreed. "Perhaps if you say lunch, that indicates you need immediate attention. Dinner means you're able to wait for a bit."

Ward nodded. "That works, Daddy... Hey! Does this mean I'm a spy?" he teased. "Now that I have a secret phrase?"

Fury laughed outright. "I'm sure you can consider yourself a spy if you want to."

Ward laughed quietly. "That's alright. I'll leave the spying to those who are trained and more suited to it. I'll just stick with business and numbers..." He smiled crookedly.

Brushing a kiss over Ward's forehead, Fury said softly, "You're very good at what you do. It's helped us out a lot. I'm not the only one who thinks so."

"Do you really think so?" Ward asked hopefully. "I know it isn't expected... but I really want to contribute to the family and if I'm helping... well, it means a lot to know that I'm able to do that."

"You are helping a great deal, son," Fury promised. "Having someone on the business and numbers end has been incredibly useful."

"That's good to know. I don't want to be useless or a burden..." Ward said quietly.

Fury hugged his son. "You would _never_ be either of those," he promised. "Never a burden. Never useless. I want you. I need you. I love you. I am _more than glad_ your best friend dragged you here to me."

Ward held onto Fury tightly, nuzzling into the juncture between shoulder and neck. "I love you too, daddy..." he said, in a peaceful voice.

Fury kissed his son's hair and cuddled Ward tightly, still gently stroking his hand over Ward's back, bottom and thighs, giving a gentle squeeze every so often.

Ward sighed happily, just snuggling close, content to be pet for as long as his father wanted to pet him. His skin was warm, and tingling and he knew he'd be feeling it the rest of the day.

Fury was content to cuddle and hold his son, stroking and caressing him. Every so often, he'd kiss one side of Ward's head or the other. "Holding you in my arms feels good, son," he murmured into Ward's hair. "Don't be surprised if I pull you into my arms or onto my lap periodically throughout the rest of the week. Month. Year."

"I hope you do..." Ward admitted. "I like being held by you... and knowing you aren't ashamed of me and want everyone to see I'm yours...."

"I couldn't be ashamed of you." Fury stroked the fingers of his other hand through Ward's hair, gently squeezing his bottom. "You're mine. And I'll make sure everyone knows it and that you never forget it."

Ward let out a tiny sigh at feeling his bottom squeezed. It never failed to make him feel young and vulnerable and completely in his father's control when Fury did that. Safe. It was safety. "I'm yours and I want everyone to know... thank you for helping me to remember."

"I'll never let you forget." Fury gave his son's bottom another squeeze, then moved his hand down a bit lower to squeeze each of his thighs. "Never let you forget that you're mine. That you belong with me and to me."

Ward sighed softly, leaning more firmly into his father and just relaxed, enjoying the attention he was being given. He knew eventually, they would go out and join the rest of their family, but until then, he was going to soak up the affection. "Feels good..." he mumbled quietly.

"It feels good giving you affection." Fury kissed his son's cheeks, his hand alternating between squeezing Ward's bottom and squeezing his thighs. "It feels good holding you in my arms and touching, stroking, rubbing," he murmured.

"...Feels good belonging to you... submitting to you..." Ward blushed slightly at the last, but he and Fury both knew it was true. Ward thrived when Fury was in charge of him and Ward was obeying. Anytime Ward began to try and do his own thing without his father's input, he became nervous and unsettled.

Fury kissed the side of Ward's head again and then murmured in his ear, "For the rest of the day, I think you're going to stay by my side. Whether on my lap or curled up next to me, where I can keep hold of you." He gave his son's bottom a gentle pat, indicating his directions were non-negotiable.

"Yes, daddy..." Ward agreed easily, a willingness to obey clear in his voice. He leaned forward into his father, pushing his bottom out just slightly so it would be easier to rub and pat. It was instinctive.

Fury gave his son's backside another pat, a bit more firmly this time, and kissed his forehead. "Good boy."

Ward let out a happy chirp at the praise. He truly did like being good for his daddy. "...Love you, sir..." he whispered.

"I love you too, my good boy." Fury nuzzled his hair. "My very good boy." He patted Ward's bottom a third time and then rubbed it.

Ward chirped happily again, snuggling close and tight and otherwise holding still so Fury could continue to pat and rub. His bottom belonged to his daddy. He'd stay in place as long as Fury wanted to rub and pat.

Fury's arms were wrapped tightly around Ward, one hand tucked under the pajama flap to rub and firmly pat his son's bottom, his other hand cradling the back of Ward's head. Stroking his hair. He repeatedly pressed kisses to Ward's head.

Ward continued to nuzzle against Fury's neck and shoulder, content to accept the affection for as long as possible.

While Fury had planned to go and join the rest of their family, he was also driven by the need to touch, hold, caress, squeeze and stroke. He let his hand move a bit lower, stroking his fingers against the skin between Ward's bottom and thighs and then gently patting with his fingertips; almost like he was drumming them.

Ward whined softly at that, unable to keep himself from arching slightly so that crease between bottom and thigh would open for his father to claim.

In response to the arching and the crease opening up, Fury began to firmly pat with his palm, alternating between left and right. He continued to whisper softly and lovingly to Ward, telling him how much he was loved and that he was a good boy. That he was Fury's good boy.

Ward began to quiver at the praise, tiny moans and whimpers escaping as he nuzzled against Fury and held his bottom in place for attention. "...Your good boy... always your good boy..." he promised shakily.

"Always my good boy," Fury murmured, beginning to gently drum his son's sit spots with his fingers once more. "My good boy who is loved and wanted so very much."

"Love you, daddy... so much... so happy to belong to you... safe and protected and loved... never ever wanna lose that.... never ever wanna leave you..." Ward babbled softly.

"You won't lose it. You won't leave me. I won't let you." Fury whispered the words in his son's ear, letting his drumming fingers travel down to mid-thigh and back up again, before doing the same on the other side of his son's bottom. "You are safe. Protected. Loved."

"Love you so much, sir..." Ward sniffled, his feelings of belonging overwhelming, but good.

"I love you so very much, son." Fury continued the gentle drumming, feeling Ward's skin pimple under his fingertips, like goosebumps rising in the flesh. He knew it wasn't painful, but he liked the idea of the sensitivity lingering when they went to join the others.

Ward shivered as his skin became more and more sensitive, but he didn't shift away; instead shifted so that it was easier for Fury to claim and make him more sensitive.

Fury kissed the side of his son's head, just above his ear. "When we join the others, you'll feel how long I held and handled you for," he murmured, beginning to gently drum against the cheeks of Ward's bottom. "It's going to last. You'll feel that you belong to me for a good few hours, at least."

"Yessir... I'm glad for that. I want to feel you control me. Need to feel how much I belong to you..." Ward whispered. And he did feel extremely sensitive. As gentle as Fury was being, the consistent drumming on his skin was making him tingle and feel slightly achy. But not in a bad way.

Fury slid his other hand down to join the first, allowing him to drum over and down both buttocks at the same time. He pressed Ward tighter against himself, holding his son close as he reached mid-thigh once more.

"Will feel your control and how much I belong all day. Remember how much you love me..." Ward continued to whisper, nuzzling against Fury's shoulder and neck.

Fury stayed gently drumming his fingers against Ward's sit spots and thighs, murmuring softly, "In a minute, I'm going to lay you back over my knees and I'm going to rub a lotion into your bottom that will make your skin tingle even more. Make it feel more intense. And throughout the day, just to make sure it doesn't wear off, I'm going to keep bringing you back here for further applications."

"So... it feels like you are touching me even when you aren't?" Ward couldn't help but sound interested. "I can be reminded and remember, even when you can't remind me...."

"Yes, son." Fury stopped the drumming, running his fingers through his son's hair before gently moving Ward back into position over his knees, moving back on the bed so he could open one of his drawers without having to stretch.

Ward let out a tiny sigh that sounded _very_ happy as he was positioned over Fury's lap. "This is turning into a _wonderful_ day..." he admitted.

Fury opened the drawer and took out the bottle of lotion. He squirted out a generous amount and then began to rub it into Ward's bottom and thighs. "And there's still the other early present to come."

Ward moaned softly as the lotion was rubbed in. His father had been right, it did tingle. A lot. Mixing with the sensitivity of his skin from where he'd been rubbed and patted, it left a feeling behind that was reminiscent of icy-hot. Not painful or unpleasant, but not something that could be ignored either. He'd be feeling his father's control for several hours now. He swallowed and focused on Fury's words. "Can I have a hint of what it is?" he asked, in a teasing voice.

"It's something that will prove, beyond any doubt, just who you belong to now, to everyone," Fury answered, rubbing the lotion into every inch of exposed skin. He raised his leg so he could rub it into the crease between bottom and thigh as well.

Ward hissed and couldn't help but squirm slightly as the lotion was rubbed into the tender crease. That area was even more sensitive than the others, the tingle almost a warm sting. It was uncomfortable. It felt _good_. The contrast was confusing, but not enough for him to pull away. He let out a happy sigh. "No doubt at all?" he breathed out hopefully.

"No doubt. At all," Fury promised. He put the flap back into position and helped Ward to stand, wrapping his arms around his son's waist. "You're Ward Fury now," he announced softly.

Ward wrapped his arms around his father and began to snuggle. "I'm glad there will be no doubt at all, because..." he began, his voice trailing off as what his father had just said penetrated his mind. "...Ward Fury? You... You've given me your name?" His voice caught and he blinked back sudden tears. "I didn't even know that was possible..." he whispered, before letting out a choked sob and plastering himself to the older man. It was obvious he was _very_ happy with the gift.

Fury hugged his son tightly. "So, everyone will know. So, you don't have to have bad memories associated with your previous name," he whispered. "Because you're _mine_ and I want you to have my name. I want you to have _everything_."

"I'm yours forever and now everyone will know... Even people who don't know will know, just from seeing my name..." Ward was trembling he was so happy and excited.

Fury kissed his forehead. "I love you, son. You are _completely_ mine. In _every_ way possible."

"Thank you, Daddy... you've given me the bestest gift ever... being yours..." Ward whispered, snuggling close.

Fury smiled and kissed the side of his head. "Letting me keep you has been the best gift you could have ever given me," he whispered.

Ward smiled at that, snuggling close. "Merry Christmas," he whispered

"Merry Christmas." Fury hugged him a bit tighter. "As soon as you're ready, we can join the rest of the family for the movies."

"I'm ready now, daddy..." Ward said, waiting for Fury to lead him out.

Wrapping his arm around Ward's waist, Fury began to lead him from the bedroom to the family room.

Kara glanced over at her father and brother as they entered. Standing up, she quickly moved to their side. "The pajamas are awesome, daddy" she whispered, so as not to disturb the movie. She then snuggled close to their father.

Ward noticed that almost _everyone_ had on a pair of the pajamas. Only a few of the parents didn't. He wasn't sure if they just didn't put them on, or if they didn't own a pair yet, but made a mental note to find out. It would be funny if the entire family dressed alike on Christmas; and he suspected it would make Kara very happy.

Fury smiled and gave his daughter a tight hug, whispering softly, "I have another early Christmas present for you."

"Oh!" Kara bounced in place and clapped her hands like a little girl. "Can I have it now, daddy? Please?"

Fury's smile grew and he kissed his daughter's forehead, then looked towards Ward. "Why don't you join your brothers and we'll be with you in a moment?" he suggested, giving his son a tight hug.

Ward smiled, hugging back just as tightly. "Okay, daddy..." he said, moving over to sit on the couch next to Brock.

Robbie smiled at Ward and moved a bit closer to Trip, leaving enough room for him to settle on the couch with them.

Kissing Kara's head firmly, Fury led her to his own room and towards the bed, sitting down and gently pulling her onto his lap.

Grinning, Kara squirmed around till she was sitting straddled on her father's lap, leaning forward and snuggling close, hugging him tightly and tucking her head under his chin. "I love you, daddy." She sighed softly. Her bottom was in perfect position for handling.

"I love you, baby girl. So very much so." Fury kissed her head, letting his hands slide down his daughter's back and over her bottom, gently squeezing.

Kara was content to just stay plastered to her father, hugging tightly and snuggling. Still... "What's my other gift, daddy?" she asked impishly, with more than a hint of curiosity.

Fury stroked through her hair as he answered, "I changed your name. So that there won't be any doubt of whose you are. You're now Kara Fury."

"I get to tell everyone I'm a Fury? Really?" Kara bounced in place. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She threw her arms more tightly around him and buried her head under his chin.

Fury smiled and hugged her tighter to himself, brushing a kiss over her head. "Both you and Ward now have my last name," he murmured softly.

"It's perfect, Daddy. Now even people who aren't family will know I belong to you... that I'm your girl...." Kara whispered.

"Exactly." Fury kissed her hair. "Do you want to snuggle a bit more or go and join the rest of the family now?" he asked.

"Can we snuggle? Just a little more?" Kara smiled innocently.

"Of course." Fury cuddled his daughter tighter, stroking his fingers through her hair and down her back.

Kara snuggled close, sighing happily.

***

Ward glanced around the room, noting who was there. Several people were focused on the movie, while others carried on quiet conversations.

Noticing his cousin, Danny stood and headed over to join Ward, sitting down at his best friend's feet and grinning up at him. "Enjoying the movie?"

"I think so... I don't think I ever saw this one..." Ward chuckled.

"Any you'd like to put in a vote for?" Danny asked. "I'll vote with you," he added.

"The classics are always good. Maybe 'A Christmas Carol' or 'It's a Wonderful Life'?" Ward grinned.

"Oh! It's A Wonderful Life! Please?" Jemma interjected.

Leo smiled. "I think Kaine put in his voice for 'It's A Wonderful Life' next. We can watch 'A Christmas Carol' afterwards."

Ward nodded. "Sounds good."

"After those two, I would suggest eating lunch and maybe a walk before continuing to be couch potatoes..." May smiled.

"I agree." Blake reached out and drew his son into his arms, almost onto his lap; it would only take a few minor adjustments.

Pyro shifted till he was on his father's lap. After seeing how many of the family was affectionate in that way, he was happy to have it as well.

Wade looked around at his family, snuggling with Vanessa and Russell, but staying close to Colossus. It was nearing time for him to go with his father and brother for his reaffirming settling. He couldn't help but notice his kid sister fidgeting like she felt out of place, though. Nudging Colossus gently, he nodded in Domino's direction. "Baby sister needs you..." he whispered.

Colossus leaned forward to murmur to Wade, "Would you like to go with Dad first?"

Wade smiled serenely at his brother. "I'm good. I can wait. Thanks, though..." he leaned over and have his brother a kiss on the cheek before pulling Vanessa and Russell even more tightly against himself.

Colossus squeezed Wade's shoulder and then shifted towards Domino, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and then drawing her into his lap.

Domino blinked in surprise for a few moments before snuggling close.

"Are the pajamas comfortable?" Colossus asked his sister, cuddling her.

"They really are... I wouldn't be surprised if a few more extra pairs got ordered after Christmas so one pair will always be ready while the other is in the laundry." Domino smiled brightly, then giggled. "Might do that myself."

Colossus kissed her cheek. "How are you feeling, baby sister?"

Domino gave a bashful smile. "I'm feeling happy. A little unsettled, though. Not used to being around so many people at this time of year where I'm actually wanted...."

"Do you need a bit of one-on-one time?" Colossus watched her face. "Just us? Or even you, me and Dad?"

Domino snuggled a bit more, glancing shyly toward Wade. "Isn't it, Wade's time?" she whispered uncertainly. It was obvious she did want some one on one time.

"He's okay to postpone it," Colossus murmured. He glanced over towards Cable, exchanging a glance with his father.

"He did that for me?" She shot Wade a grateful look. When Wade winked back, she smiled shyly and whispered, "Can we spend some just us?"

"Just me and you?" Colossus murmured. "Or me, you and Dad? What would you prefer, baby sister?"

"Me, you and daddy?" Domino bit her lip. Of course, she knew what that likely meant, but she felt like maybe she needed that. If there were at least two family members who were keeping an eye on her, who she had to answer to, maybe she wouldn’t sneak off like she was tempted to do every time she started feeling, overwhelmed.

"Of course." Colossus nodded to Cable and then he and their father both stood up. Wrapping an arm each around Domino's shoulders, they led her from the family room.

Wade grinned like a loon as his baby sister was led out, snuggling Vanessa some more and kissing the top of Russell's head.

Domino leaned into Colossus heavily, then leaned into Cable. "How'd you know I needed you?" she asked hesitantly. "Was it that obvious I was thinking of sneaking off?"

"Wade saw it," Colossus answered.

"He indicated we were needed," Cable said calmly.

"It's easy to forget how closely he pays attention..." She smiled crookedly. "I'm glad he was, though...."

"So are we," Colossus said seriously. "You don't need to go without what you need, baby sister. Just like Wade doesn't."

"It's easy for him. He knows what he needs. I have no clue. I just knew my skin was itching and I needed to get away..." Domino admitted softly.

"Until you do know and can put voice to it, we will keep watch over you and make sure you don't stray far," Cable promised, as they reached his room and he and Colossus guided Domino inside.

"Thank you, daddy..." Domino smiled at Cable. "It helps... knowing I can’t take myself away from you because I'm confused...." She sighed and leaned into her father, while taking hold of Colossus' hand.

Inside the bedroom, Cable sat on the bed and gently pulled Domino onto his lap, while Colossus sat down next to them and gripped his sister's hand.

"You won't be able to take yourself from us," Cable promised, stroking her hair.

Domino snuggled as close as she could to both men. "Good. I don't want to leave. Not really. It's just... so much..." she admitted.

"The family? Christmas?" Cable probed gently, still stroking her hair.

"Every time I've been in large family gatherings at Christmas, it almost always ended up with someone in jail and someone else in the ER. I started avoiding them when I was old enough to do so. It... I guess it's just habit. Needing to get myself away from it all..." Domino sighed.

"Something like that takes time to get past," Cable commented. "We can take that time. There is no hurry."

"Thank you, daddy..." Domino said gratefully. "How... how do I calm down? Get rid of the antsies?"

"That depends on what's easier for you," Cable answered. "I believe it's no secret how Wade gets settled."

"Yeah. It's not. Get the idea he isn't the only one either. Not sure it will work for me... but... if it keeps me from sneaking off..." She left unsaid that she would rather be stopped by any means necessary.

"It wouldn't be necessary until or unless we'd tried everything else and nothing worked," Cable promised.

"I believe it is attention you need more than discipline," Colossus commented.

Domino slanted her head and thought about it. "I... I think you're right. I'm already feeling slightly more at ease, just cuddling with both of you...."

Cable smiled and held her a bit tighter. "It's very important that you feel at ease."

"I love you, Daddy... love you too, big brother. If I start feeling antsy again... can I just... come here? Hide out for a little bit?" She knew full well, if they didn't notice, Wade probably would and would tell them. So, she wouldn't be left alone too much.

"I love you too, baby girl, and that's absolutely fine," Cable replied.

"And you could send us a message from here," Colossus suggested.

"Or perhaps we could request that Friday make sure we're aware whenever you come in here," Cable commented.

"That'd be really good. Would you do that for us, Friday? Tell daddy and Colossus if I come in here by myself?" Domino asked.

"Of course, mistress Domino," the AI answered.

Domino giggled at being called Mistress. "Thank you, Friday. You can just call me Domino, though...." She cuddled closer to her father and attempted to snuggle closer to her brother. "These pajamas really are comfortable..." she murmured. "Was the flap in case we were naughty?"

"For certain family members," Cable commented.

"For others, if they need calming and settling and don't want to leave the family area," Colossus commented.

Domino blinked at that. "Oh..." she said faintly. "Like when Wade wants attention, but doesn't want everyone else embarrassed?" She swallowed, then asked hesitantly, "Wouldn't everyone still be able to tell?"

"Yes, but it would at least preserve someone's modesty," Cable answered. "And it doesn't necessarily have to take place in front of anyone. The option's just there if it does become necessary."

Domino nodded. That made sense. "I don't like being spanked..." she said, out of the blue. Blushing, she quickly continued, "Like being snuggled, though. Like having you pet me like you'll never let me go...."

"Not many of those here do like being spanked," Cable said. "It makes it an effective punishment that way. But snuggling and petting? That we can and will do. For as long as you need and want."

"And it is something we enjoy as well," Colossus added.

Domino smiled at that, relaxing in their arms. "Love you both..." she whispered.

"We love you." Colossus hugged her a bit tighter.

Cable tightened his own embrace. "Very much so."

****

Bobbi had noticed as various family members left, then returned, throughout the morning. Each time, the 'child' came back more at ease. Everyone had eaten lunch together and then, after, May had organized a walk, so everyone could get a bit of movement and fresh air. Bobbi had enjoyed herself, but she was beginning to get restless. While never far from her father's sight, they hadn’t had any time yet with just the two of them. Another movie was about to start, and she shifted, a tiny sigh escaping.

"Gonna go take a shower," she muttered to Lance, as she was sitting next to him. Waiting until he acknowledged her, she stood and disappeared to her room. And then stood in the middle of her room, staring at the adjoining door between her room and her father's room.

Coulson had paid attention to his daughter and, when she'd left the family room, he followed her. Reaching her room, he knocked lightly on the door.

Turning toward the door that led to the hall, she called out, "Come in..."

Coulson opened the door and stepped into the room, walking over and drawing his daughter into an embrace. "Are you doing okay, sweetheart?" he asked softly.

Bobbi wrapped her arms around her father, burrowing close. "I feel selfish, daddy..." she muttered. "I been with you and the family all day and instead of being happy, I keep wishing I could have you to myself..." She sighed sadly.

"There's nothing wrong with that," he said gently, hugging her a bit more tightly.

"Really? Cuz it feels like I shouldn't be so selfish. The others need you too..." She nuzzled against him. "Was gonna take a shower to see if that got me out of my funk but ended up staring at the door to your room instead," Bobbi admitted sheepishly.

"It isn't selfish to need, sweetheart." Coulson kissed her forehead. "Why don't I take you through to my room? Give you a bath. Then we can sit and cuddle. Talk."

Bobbi blushed but nodded. She needed too much to let herself be embarrassed at the fact he'd be taking care of her like a little child, that she would be completely exposed and vulnerable; part of her needed to be that vulnerable. "Please, daddy?" she asked instead.

Coulson held her tightly for a few more moments and then led her through the adjoining door to his room and into his bathroom, where he began to remove her clothes.

Bobbi cooperated, holding still as she was stripped naked. She didn't try to cover up, though she blushed slightly. "...Yours, daddy..." she whispered. She knew he would always take care of and protect her. She just needed to let him.

"I love you," Coulson whispered, kissing her forehead before he began to run the bath. Once it was full, he helped his daughter into it.

"I know..." she whispered, pressing into the kiss. "I love you too. So much. I'm sorry I'm so needy..." She smiled crookedly.

"It's not a problem, sweetheart." Coulson picked up a washcloth and began to wash her.

"Even though... even when... I'm acting really childish?" Bobbi bit her lip.

"You act however you need to." His voice and touch were both gentle as he continued washing her. "I will respond in whatever way you need me to."

"Thank you, daddy..." Bobbi smiled crookedly, kissing him on the cheek, before relaxing back in the water and letting him wash her.

Once he was finished washing her, Coulson helped his daughter out of the bath and began to carefully dry her off.

Bobbi waited until she was mostly dry and wouldn't get her father wet and then pressed close to him, hugging tightly and snuggling. She needed to feel he had hold of her and wouldn't let go. That he was in control, so she didn’t have to be.

Coulson hugged her tightly to himself. "I love you," he whispered. He led her though to the bedroom and sat down, settling her on his lap.

Bobbi just cuddled close, uncaring that she was still naked. Something about feeling his hands on her bare skin was soothing. "I love you, daddy. Dunno how I lived so long without you in my life..." she whispered.

"I love you, sweetheart. So much. I can't imagine my life without you in it now." He kissed her hair.

"Need you, daddy. You help me stay... tied to the ground. I'd still be rootless... aimless... without you." Bobbi nuzzled against his shoulder.

He tightened his arms around her, one hand stroking down her back and the other hand caressing her hair. "You'll always have me."

Bobbi slumped against him, sighing happily as he rubbed her back. "Feels good. Like... like safety and hope and... home..." she whispered, before blushing at her 'sappiness'.

"Those are all good feelings to have," Coulson murmured encouragingly.

"Did... did you read any more of what I wrote? On the blog?" she asked hesitantly. If he had, then maybe she wouldn't have to admit out loud what she needed.

"I have been." He stroked her cheek. "Are you still feeling that way?"

Bobbi swallowed, then nodded. "Yes, daddy... not all the time, but... lately... I've been feeling it more." She paused. "I... I feel it more when we don't have missions. On the missions, you're giving orders and stuff, so ... but when we aren't on missions, it's... I need you to be in control still, but.... I... I dunno...."

"There's nothing wrong with it," he said gently. "You aren't the only one to need."

Bobbi sniffled slightly, grateful he understood. She wasn't sure she understood herself. "Thanks, daddy..." she finally whispered. "I don't know why I feel this way. For so long, all I wanted was to be in control of every part of my life. Even following orders as an agent, I'd look for ways to get away with doing stuff my way and making my own decisions. It just scares me now and I don't know why. I know... I know it doesn't bother you that I need you so much. That there's nothing wrong with needing you to take over." Her voice caught as tears slid down her face. "I can't help wondering if something is wrong with me that I never used to feel like this and now... what changed in me, daddy? That turned me into a big baby that wants you to treat me like a little girl?"

"There's nothing wrong with you," Coulson said gently. "I think you need because it was something you never had before. I know you grew up in foster homes. You never really had someone to take care of that little girl inside. Not like you do now."

"So... what? I'm making up for lost time? Trying to get my childhood back?" she asked skeptically, with a whole lot of hope in her voice. Maybe her father was right. If so, maybe in ten years or so, she'd be pushing for him to not have so much control over her. She'd be more adult with him. Maybe she never would. Maybe it didn't matter. If he wasn't bothered by it and didn't think there was something wrong with her, and it was obvious he didn't, she could go on being needy with him. She pressed closer, snuggling. "Would... would you help me settle, daddy?" she whispered hesitantly.

Kissing her cheek, he murmured, "Of course," and gently moved her over his lap, rubbing down over her back and bottom before he started to lightly pat.

Bobbi immediately relaxed as she was positioned, already feeling a little less anxious as Coulson took control over her. She was completely vulnerable to him and whatever he decided she needed... but she trusted him completely and letting herself be vulnerable and giving him control eased tension and fears she couldn’t put a name to. "Thank you, daddy..." She sighed softly and focused on his hand patting her bare bottom. It didn't sting... not yet... but then, this wasn't about pain. It was about putting herself in her father's hands and trusting him to do what was best for her.

Coulson didn't swat hard; didn't go any lighter than the pats. His other hand stroked and caressed down his daughter's back, as he murmured soft, loving words to her.

Bobbi soon fell into a peaceful headspace where all her focus was completely on her father: his voice and words, his hand patting, his hand rubbing. It was comforting and felt good. Her skin was becoming more sensitive and tingling. She hoped he wouldn't stop until she was pink and would feel this even after he stopped.

He kept on stroking, caressing, patting. Kept reiterating that she was his good girl and how much he loved her. He kept his voice low and soft, reassuring.

Bobbi shivered slightly. She was losing track of time. All that mattered was her father had her and was taking care of her. Her bottom had finally begun to sting, just from the gentle pats. She couldn't see her bottom, but she imagined it was darkening; that if she looked in the mirror, she'd see as well as feel her father's control.

"My good girl," Coulson murmured. "I've got you. I love you so much."

Bobbi couldn't help but tear up at the words. "...Wanna be your good girl, daddy..." she admitted quietly, sniffling a little bit. "...Wanna be your girl forever...."

"I won't let you go," Coulson promised. "You're _mine_. My good girl. I love you so much."

At that, Bobbi just slumped over her father's lap and accepted his attention without movement or talking. Tears still slipped from her eyes, but they were more to relieve pent up tension than because of being upset or hurting. She wasn't hurting. She felt like she was right where she belonged. "...I'm home..." she whispered.

"Forever." Coulson stopped spanking and gathered his daughter into his arms, hugging her tight and kissing the top of her head.

Bobbi snuggled close into the hug, hiding her head under Coulson's chin. "I love you, daddy..." she whispered. Her bottom was so sensitive, but so was the rest of her. Being exposed and vulnerable did that to her; made it hard to be touched without feeling her vulnerability... without knowing who she belonged to.

"I've got you." He brushed a kiss over her head. "I think it would be good if we stayed in here for a bit and cuddle, maybe nap, before going and rejoining the rest of the family."

"I'd like that, daddy... wanna be held 'n not let go..." Bobbi agreed softly.

Coulson gently drew his daughter down on the bed with him and wrapped his arms around her tightly, brushing a kiss over the top of her head.

***

Word about the new arrivals had spread quickly during the morning and, as Fury had indicated to Talos, a large crowd of people had formed to watch the spaceship land.

Riktor stood next to Laura, holding onto his best friend's hand as he watched for his first sight of a spaceship.

Jessica noticed her aunt and her aunt's best friend holding hands and smiled faintly, before looking back toward where the ship was landing. "This isn't exactly the first time we've seen spaceships arrive," she noted, to anyone standing close enough to hear her. "Maybe it would be less overwhelming for them if those of us not directly involved in helping them acclimate went back downstairs and waited in the family room?" She didn't move to do so, though. If the new arrivals ended up being hostile, she wanted to be there to protect the less powered members of the family.

Riktor glanced sideways at Jessica. He was doing marginally better at not reading minds but couldn't help accessing his abilities occasionally. "If they're hostile, I'll sense them," he stated with certainty.

Jessica nodded at Riktor and relaxed slightly. "That's good. She glanced toward her Uncle Nick. He didn't seem worried in the least. Then again, from what little she'd overheard when the call came through to him at breakfast, he knew at least two of the people arriving. She sensed a story there and hoped that he would be telling them all later. Maybe after lunch.

Peter was stood next to Yondu and Drax. Kraglin was stood on the other side of Yondu. And all the rest of the Guardians were stood next to Drax. Even those who had been adopted by Coulson. Having lived in space, they were all curious if the new arrivals were anyone they would know or know about.

The family gathered around watched as the ship came down for a landing, some of the parents shifting automatically next to their children; just in case things went south and they needed to get the family to safety.

On board the ship, Carol was moving toward the hatch. "Let me go out first. At least two of them know me and know that I'm no threat to them. Once I've stepped through, then the rest of you can come out." She waited to see if Talos disagreed. She didn't much care if En Dwi or Taneleer disagreed. They didn't know anyone and needed to be introduced by her anyway.

Yon swallowed hard, shifting closer to Talos nervously. "They... they need to see you have me under control. That if I don't behave, you'll take care of it..." he said hesitantly. Of course, he didn't know that's what they needed; he suspected, though and was fairly certain he was right.

"I have already informed Fury that you are my son," Talos said seriously. "If I need to step in and take you in hand, I will. But, for now...." He wrapped his arm around Yon's waist, tugging his son against his side.

Soren reached out to grasp Yon's hand. "Even if they worry, it will be harder for you to draw a weapon while being held onto."

Yon leaned into Talos and gripped Soren's hand tightly. He did relax at his mother's words, though. She was right. He couldn't easily draw a weapon if he was being held tightly, so maybe the others wouldn't worry.

Lyja took Yon's other hand and smiled brightly at him. "It'll be okay, big brother."

Talos looked towards Carol. "We're ready."

Carol nodded, then lowered the hatch and walked down to meet Fury and Coulson. En Dwi and Taneleer followed immediately.

"Is it okay if I keep my ship here? Until we decide to leave?" En Dwi asked, before Carol could say anything or even introduce them. He ignored Carol's eyeroll.

Fury paused and raised his eyebrows. "That shouldn't be a problem, but before we negotiate space, perhaps we should take care of introductions."

En Dwi blinked. "Oh. Yes. Forgive my manners. I am Grandmaster En Dwi Gast. You may call me Grandmaster or En Dwi. This is Taneleer Tivan, also known as the Collector and..." He blinked as he noticed some of the other family members. "...As I live and breathe... if it isn't Thor Odinson! When did you move to Terra? And Yondu Undata?!"

Thor stepped forward with a quick and ready grin. "We have moved here to be closer to our family," he stated. "All those you see here are family. And there are some who have not come out to see, though not that many."

"This trip may prove more interesting than I originally thought!" En Dwi grinned back.

Taneleer nodded, moving closer to Thor and En Dwi and subsequently moving away from the hatch so there was room for the last four occupants to exit.

Talos gently squeezed Yon's waist as he and Soren guided their son from the spaceship, Lyja sticking close to her brother.

Fury looked towards Yon as the new family came closer and nodded. "Good to see you on the right side."

Yon blinked at the response, giving Fury an apologetic, extremely hesitant and bashful smile. "Thank you... I'm grateful I finally woke up... I... I'm so sorry for what I did before..." His whisper caught in his throat and he couldn't face anyone, looking at the ground and nearly cowering, like a beaten dog.

Anger flashed through Carol's eyes as she watched a once proud and confident man react in such a way; he'd obviously been broken. "Luckily, you retained enough of yourself after waking up to escape. It would have been disappointing to never learn of your change of heart..." she said firmly, her gaze locking with Talos and Soren, then moving to lock gazes with Fury and Coulson. She was obviously worried about her old SO and trainer.

Lyja stepped closer to her brother and wrapped her arms around him, though she was careful not to dislodge either of her parents.

Still keeping one arm wrapped around Yon's waist, Talos let his other hand gently scruff the back of his son's neck. "Perhaps we should continue inside."

"Of course." Coulson smiled warmly. "If you're hungry, there's plenty of food."

Tony, used to taking charge in backward social situations, stepped forward. "Please... follow me. I'll show you to your quarters and also where the dining area is. Uncle Phil is correct. There is plenty of food, but we can always reheat it once you've settled if you need some time first." He smiled at all of them and motioned them forward.

"Something that isn't prepackaged? Count me in..." En Dwi immediately followed.

Taneleer moved a bit more slowly, but he followed as well.

Carol waited for Talos to lead his family forward, intending to bring up the rear.

Soren gently squeezed Yon's hand, murmuring, "If it makes it easier, you can stay in the room with your papa while your sister and I go and get some food for us all."

"Thank you, mama... that will help," Yon whispered, squeezing her hand back.

Carol smiled sadly at seeing how Yon was so nervous, but made certain not to stare; at Yon, anyway. She couldn't help stare, at the rest of the family that had gathered to meet them. "Is this a new uniform?" she asked, with a hint of amusement, noticing all the various colored onesies.

"It's a 'uniform' for the family to wear," Fury answered. "Most everyone here is adopted or is a parent. We're all one family."

"Huh... Do they _all_ call you Fury then?" Carol teased. "...Well... except whoever calls you daddy?"

Kara sidled up to Fury, eyeing Carol sideways, uncertainly and snuggled close to him. "Does she get a 'uniform', daddy?" she asked, in as innocent a tone as possible; although it'd be obvious to Fury that she was teasing... as well as trying to gauge if the newcomers were going to be accepted into the family as immediately as all the rest of the family had been.

"More do than don't." Fury couldn't help but smile as he answered Carol's question. "For some reason, a lot of the family still seems to find me scary." He wrapped his arm around Kara's shoulders and answered her question. "I suspect it depends. I have the feeling someone might be." He glanced towards Talos, who was still snuggling Yon.

Kara glanced toward Yon, a sad look crossing her face. "He needs his daddy like I need you..." she whispered, with a hint of intuition. "I know everyone got extras so that they could be washed..." she admitted sheepishly, as it revealed she'd been snooping. "Can I give him one of the extras? If they want it?"

Carol slanted her head, observing Kara, her eyes darting toward Fury, questioning.

Fury smiled at his daughter. "I think that would be a very kind idea." He glanced towards Carol. "Some of the children have gone through a lot of things as well. Don't be surprised to witness some of them needing a bit more than just cuddling."

Kara grinned at her father, giving him a tight hug, before rushing off to find the extra garment.

Carol waited until Kara was out of earshot before commenting, "I shouldn't be surprised if they act younger than expected either?" she whispered. "Talos was right to bring his family here, it seems. If anyone will understand what they are going through, it seems that you and your family will...."

"Would I be right in assuming the Kree put him through some kind of brainwashing?" Fury asked softly. "Many members of the family have had experience with that. Many of them have lost parts of themselves they're still trying to get back. We all have seen the effects of people being brainwashed."

Carol's lips thinned and a guilty look crossed her face. "When I sent him back with my message to the Supreme Intelligence... I figured he'd be demoted at worst. That soon, I'd be facing him in battle. I never questioned the fact I never faced him again. I should have. Their punishment was to undo him and then recreate him the way they wanted him to be." She swallowed hard, feeling sick at knowing she'd sent him to a fate like that. "Somehow... despite everything they did... he managed to hold onto a small bit of himself and when they finally gave him a ship and sent him off to fight for them... he ran. Talos and his family found him after he crash landed and somehow, the small bit of himself that he kept recognized them and remembered what he'd done. So... he is missing large chunks of his memory and what he does remember leaves him filled with guilt and fear. If I'd had any idea what I was condemning him to...."

"There are many people who've made mistakes here in this family," Fury said. "You couldn't have known what would happen to him. From what I can see, he's found a family to take care of him. Help him to regain what he can and heal what he can't get back. And he's free of them now."

Carol nodded at that. "You're right, of course..." Sighing, she glanced around at everyone still standing outside, though most were moving toward the door to inside now that Tony had led the rest of her shipmates inside. "How did you all come to live together here, anyway?" She turned toward the door, intending to follow everyone else inside too.

Fury chuckled softly as he followed his friend into the compound. "That's something of a long story. A few years in the making. But it started with Coulson discovering one of his sons and adopting him outright. Everyone else followed."

Carol's eyebrows shot up and she moved closer so she could hear Fury more clearly.

***

Kara hadn't taken long at all to run and find the 'extra' pajamas that she'd found while nosing around the family floor. She quickly grabbed two pairs; one for Yon and one for Lyja. She wasn't certain if their parents would want to wear them too, although since so many of the family were wearing them, if they did want to, it would be easy enough to get two more pairs out. Carrying the two items, she looked up at the ceiling. "Where did Cousin Tony take our guests, Friday?" The AI quickly told her, then placed a colored light on the floor to guide her to where Talos and his family currently were. Reaching the door, she knocked tentatively.

As promised, Talos had settled in the room with Yon cuddled on his lap, stroking his fingers through his son's hair. When the knock came, he called softly, "Come in," tightening his embrace around Yon.

Kara tentatively opened the door and slipped inside the room, giving Talos a bashful, hesitant smile. She didn't know why- it tended to happen at odd times and not always expectedly- but her emotions had slipped slightly. She still wanted to give her gift, but the rest of her was feeling as shy as a toddler and wanted to run and look for her daddy so she could hide behind him. She blushed darkly and looked at the ground, shuffling her feet uncertainly. "I... uh... Mr. Talos, sir... uh... I brought somethin' for Yon and Lyja..." she squeaked out in a whisper, before quickly blurting, in a very high pitched and fast voice, "...All the kids are wearing these and I thought maybe they'd feel more comfortable if they could be wearin' them too, they don't hafta but if they wanna here's some pajamas and they're really, _really, Really, REALLY_ comfortable, so I think you'll like them, at least I hope you do and I'm sorry for botherin' ya, I'll just go now..." She gasped at the end, having said all of that in one breath, then shoved the pajamas toward Yon and Talos, blushing even more darkly and fidgeting a bit more.

Blinking at the younger woman and giving Talos a wide-eyed look that said, without words, ' _What the hell_?', Yon took the pajamas from Kara, figuring out which was meant for him and setting Lyja’s to the side. "Thank you..." he said softly, but loudly enough she could hear. "The material _is_ very comfortable... it was kind of you to think of us...."

Biting her lip and finally looking back up again with a bashful smile, Kara scuffed her foot again. "You're welcome. Maybe... maybe if you want later... you can come out and watch videos with all of us?" She couldn't help sounding hopeful. She liked making new friends but was always afraid that they'd feel uncomfortable around her and not want to hang out. Blinking, she looked at Talos. "Not all the mommas and daddies are wearing them, but a lot are. If you want a pair, sir. Or if Mrs. Talos wants one. I can get them for you..." she offered, ducking her head down again so that her hair fell in front of her face.

Talos wrapped his arms a bit more securely around Yon's waist and smiled reassuringly at Kara. "I'm sure Soren would like a pair of the pajamas as well. They do look very soft and comfortable." He paused and gentled his tone even more, recognizing something very similar in Kara to what his son was going through. "I'm sure we'd enjoy watching movies with you all later, but I think it's important that we settle in for a bit first. Perhaps Lyja would like to join you." By wording it like that, he indicated he felt it was more important that he stay with Yon and help his son settle; but he was certain Lyja would take to spending time with the family.

Kara listened intently to what Talos was saying, noticing how he was holding Yon so securely and comfortingly. She grinned brightly when he mentioned Soren wanting a pair of the pajamas. "I can get her one right now and bring it, if you'd like me too?" she offered helpfully. She started to look sad about them not watching movies, but then her grin brightened again when he mentioned Lyja might join her. "Okay... Is she going to be back here soon? So, I can ask?" she asked, a tiny bounce following the question.

"They've just gone to get some food, so it won't be long before she's back," Talos answered. "You're welcome to wait until they do return." He let his hand stroke gently over Yon's back, every so often squeezing the nape of his neck.

"Uh-huh..." Kara bit her lip. "But then I won't have the pajamas for Mrs. Soren, unless I interrupt your dinner and I don't want to do that. Daddy says it's important to eat and not skip meals...." She glanced over her shoulder, as if mentioning her father would somehow summon him to the room.

Talos nodded. "Well, why don't you go and get a pair of the pajamas? And by the time you come back, they'll probably be here."

"Okay!" She bounced in place again; then, giving both men a quick grin, _ran_ out of the room to go get the pajamas.

Yon waited until she was definitely out of ear-shot to ask, "Do you know who her daddy is? She didn't seem so... young... when we met everyone on the landing pad...."

"Fury's her dad," Talos answered. "I am fairly certain it was her voice we heard on the radio. Perhaps she has moments where it's necessary for her to act like a child." He let his hands slide up under his son's shirt, stroking the bare skin of Yon's back. "Would you like me to put the pajamas on you?"

"Yes, Papa..." Yon smiled crookedly. "The material really is very soft... it was sweet of her to think of us. I think I'd like her to see that I appreciate it."

Talos let his forehead rest against his son's and then began to strip Yon, putting the pajamas on his son and then settling him back on his lap, brushing his fingers over the flap covering his son's bottom. "This seems like it would be useful."

Yon squirmed slightly and smiled shyly. "I noticed that. I wonder... does that mean they handle things the way you handled me?" He put his head on Yon's shoulder and shifted enough that the flap was easily accessible.

Talos slid his hand underneath the flap, rubbing gently over his son's bottom. "It seems too much of a coincidence otherwise."

Yon sighed softly, relaxing against his father. "I was afraid I would not be comfortable here among the Terrans, but I think maybe I was mistaken. They do not seem that much different from us, Papa..." he admitted, letting out a happy noise as Talos rubbed.

"They certainly seem willing to welcome all of us." Talos let his other hand gently scruff Yon's neck, even as he continued rubbing his son's bottom, every so often gently squeezing. He brushed kisses over his son's head.

Yon went nearly limp at the scruffing, his body loosening up so that Talos could easily maneuver him. He let out tiny needy whimpers when Talos squeezed and happy little moans when he rubbed. "...Yours, Papa..." he whispered.

"Mine, son." Talos whispered the words in Yon's ear, tugging his son closer and tighter. He continued scruffing Yon, even as his other hand continued to rub, stroke, caress and squeeze his son's backside, every so often doing the same to his thighs.

It was a relief to not only know mentally that Talos had him and was in charge, but to feel it physically. Yon felt the tension slowly draining out of his muscles as he snuggled close to his father while Talos made it clear who he belonged to. "I love you, Papa..." he whispered, kissing Talos' shoulder.

"I love you, son." Talos kissed Yon's cheek and his hair. "You belong to me and with me. I won't let you leave my sight," he promised. "You'll stay with me."

"Thank you... I need to stay with you. Need to be with you..." Yon swallowed and kissed Talos' cheek. "I'm surprised they aren't back by now...." He glanced toward the door with a hint of worry.

Talos' communicator chimed and he freed one hand from his son to check it. "Your mama and sister met Kara outside and went with her to watch movies. They've left a tray of food outside the room for us."

Yon chuckled. "I guess Lyja's gonna have a new friend very soon..." He smiled, cuddling closer to his father. "Want me to get the trays?"

Talos brushed a kiss over his forehead. "Yes, but then I expect you right back where you belong."

Yon flushed at the words, his stomach flipping slightly with a sense of pleasure. "Yes, Papa..." he whispered, before getting up and quickly retrieving the trays. Sitting them on the dresser next to the bed, he turned toward his father and, blushing faintly, asked, "...Since they aren't going to be coming back for a few hours... maybe we could see how the flap works...?"

Talos simply held his arm out to Yon, waiting for his son to get into position. He smiled, so Yon would know he was on board with the idea.

Yon smiled bashfully, quickly but carefully moving to stand by Talos' knee, then laying over it. His torso was supported on the bed and his bottom was in perfect position for Talos to test out the function of the pajamas.

Wrapping an arm around Yon's waist to hold him tight and secure against his stomach, Talos slid his other hand under the pajama flap, giving his son's bottom a gentle pat.

Yon let out a tiny sigh, relaxing so that it would be easier for Talos to handle him. This wasn't about punishment, so he wasn't tense. It was about claiming. Talos showing physically what he'd promised verbally; that Yon belonged with him. To him. Yon needed to feel that.

"You are mine, son." Talos spoke in a low voice, the words a sincere promise. "We might have been on opposite sides once, but that has changed now. You are part of my family. You belong with me and to me." He continued to gently pat on every other word, rubbing in between.

"I'm yours... and mama's... and Lyja's. I have a family now... not alone... have help. Won't make such bad mistakes anymore. You'll stop me and help me be better..." Yon's voice was full of his belief in his father.

"You have a whole family now," Talos promised, gently squeezing his son's bottom. "You belong with and to me, your mama, your sister. All of us _love_ and _need_ you. _So much_."

"I need you too, Papa... more than anything in the world," Yon admitted. His voice was filled with trust and hope and underlying all of that was a will to submit. He knew if he took control over his own life, at least in that moment, he'd mess it all up. Talos would guide him till he figured out how to be the type of man he wanted to be.

"I won't let you go," Talos promised. "I'll keep hold of you. Keep you with me. Make sure no one and nothing hurts you again. Make sure you can heal and get past everything that was done to you."

"...Help me make up for what I did wrong? Before I realized how wrong I was?" Yon asked quietly.

" _Always_ ," Talos replied. "I love you so much, son."

"I love you too, Papa. Thank you for taking me... wanting me..." Yon whispered.

"You're worth being wanted." Talos rubbed a bit more and then gathered Yon into his arms, hugging his son tight.

Yon just snuggled close, all else forgotten as he bonded with his father.

Talos kissed Yon's hair and snuggled his son, gently scruffing the back of Yon's neck as he held him as tight as he could without causing harm.

"Do you think you want us to stay here? In this compound?" Yon asked, relaxing in Talos' grip and enjoying being snuggled.

"I think it would be a good place for us." Talos kissed the side of his head. "Perhaps one of the best places, to be surrounded by friends and family. People who won't judge you."

Yon nodded. "As long as I'm with you and mama and Lyja, I think I'll be okay. But it does seem like this is a very safe place to be."

"I agree." Talos leaned his forehead against his son's. "I thought I would feed you and then we can join the rest of them for movies."

Yon smiled at that. "I like when you feed me... even if it does make me seem like a little boy..." he admitted.

"I don't believe you have had many to take care of you." Talos reached carefully for the tray, still holding onto his son.

"Some Kree do, though everyone there tends to grow up fast and hold the philosophy that gentleness and caring are things to be exploited or otherwise derided. Only very small children get affection. If they are lucky enough to be with family and not in a state-run orphanage or school..." Yon's smile was sad and it was clear he hadn't been one of the fortunate.

"You have it now," Talos promised. "You have a family. People who love you and want you." He uncovered the tray and began to feed his son, stroking the side of Yon's face.

Yon smiled, eating whatever he was fed without question or complaint, otherwise just pressing his face into Talos' hand. It didn't take long for the food to be eaten and he was just pressing into the affection like a love-starved puppy.

When they'd both finished, Talos just cuddled his son tightly, kissing and stroking his son's face. "I love you. You are mine," he whispered.

"I love you, papa... thank you for wanting me," Yon whispered. He was content to stay in his father's arms until Talos decided it was time to join the others.

***

Everyone was settled in the family room in their 'early' Christmas gifts, watching movies. Every couch, chair, lounger and oversized pillow had at least two family members cuddled up together. Sharon was looking around with a bemused expression on her face that she was part of this family now. She glanced toward the hall as Helen and Claire entered.

Claire walked over and handed Sharon a bottle of water and a blister -pack of medication. "Jack in SHIELD medical said the pain reliever he gave you earlier is probably wearing off about now. He also said to remind you that when you're told to take it easy while you heal, that taking it easy does not include doing weight training, even if they are only ten-pound weights." She did not look impressed, but she didn't look all that surprised either. She was used to dealing with 'super-heroes'.

Sharon's eyes widened and she went unnaturally still, her eyes glancing furtively toward Maria.

Maria looked towards her sister and raised her eyebrows. "When was this?" Her voice was low, so as not to draw any undue attention to the two of them. Of course, it wasn't like no one would be aware of what was going on; but she wasn't planning on making it a huge deal in front of the other family members.

Sharon blushed, but answered truthfully. "This morning. I know I said I was going to walk on the treadmill, but all of them were being used and I was feeling antsy from not getting as much activity in, so I figured small weights couldn't hurt...." Her voice trailed off, because it was obvious it _had_ hurt since she went to SHIELD medical for pain reliever.

"Except it _did_ , obviously." A look of frustration came across Maria's face. "That's not what we agreed, Sharon." Along with the frustration was clearly worry.

Sharon couldn't look her sister in the eye, as she was feeling guilty now. "I know. It wasn't _planned_ and I really thought ten pounds wouldn't hurt. That's a bag of sugar!" Her voice was small and slightly whining, as she attempted to justify herself.

"Which you shouldn't be lifting anyway," Maria said.

Sharon blinked and opened her mouth, only to falter and not say anything. What _could_ she say? She knew Maria was right. If she even needed to pick up a bag of sugar, she was supposed to ask for help. "Okay... that was a really sucky example..." she muttered, almost sullenly; she knew she'd been well and truly caught.

Maria glanced around at the rest of the family and then stood up, holding her hand out to Sharon. "Let's go and talk about this in private."

Sharon slumped. She didn't know why every family member who was 'in charge' of another family member always phrased it as 'going to have a talk in private'. Every single member of the family who had been in the compound longer than a day knew exactly what type of discussing was going on. They might as well just say, 'let's go to my room so I can turn you over my knee and blister your bare butt with the palm of my hand.' Not that it would make it any better. But everyone already knew that's what was going to end up happening. "Yes, ma'am," she said meekly, taking Maria's hand and standing to follow her out. She flushed when she saw all the sympathetic glances she was getting. Yeah. _Everyone_ knew.

Maria led her sister out of the family room and headed to her own room, gently squeezing Sharon's hand. She didn't speak until they were inside her room with the door closed and then she turned to face the other woman. "Is there anything else you need to tell me about this?"

"I had the doctor look at my arm to make sure I didn't hurt it further and they said it didn't seem I had... but I should refrain from using it for at least another week longer than originally told..." Sharon said softly. She was the one who had gone against orders, so she'd take her medicine like a big girl. And she wouldn't lie to Maria about it, even though Maria was liable to shorten her leash if she thought Sharon couldn't take care of herself.

Maria sighed and led Sharon over to the bed. "I assume there weren't any extenuating circumstances for you lifting the weights that I'm not aware of?"

"No, ma'am. Just me feeling cooped up and antsy and being too impatient to wait for equipment I'm allowed to use..." Sharon said, her voice subdued and more than a bit shamed now that she was actually listening to herself explain her actions.

Maria nodded. "I understand how difficult it is, but you need to be more mindful of your health. If you can't do that yourself, then I'll do it for you." She took a seat on the bed and guided Sharon across her lap.

Sharon winced, knowing Maria was likely going to do that anyway, at least for the next week, if only to remind her enough times that she would start thinking before acting again. "Yes, ma'am," she whispered, in resignation and a bit contritely. "I'm sorry."

"If you're feeling antsy and restless, you come to me. You talk to me. And we deal with it." Maria bared Sharon and then lifted her hand, bringing it down in a firm smack that she then repeated.

Sharon whined softly at the first smack, as sting immediately bloomed at the spot Maria swatted. "Yes, ma'am..." she whimpered. What else could she say? She'd known what she was doing wouldn't make Maria happy, no matter how she justified it to herself as she was doing it.

Maria settled quickly into a pattern of swats down to Sharon's thighs before she started over from the top. "I don't need to point out that it's so easy to make a wound worse if you put too much strain on it. I believe you've learned that lesson."

"Yes, ma'am..." Sharon's voice was strained in an attempt not to start crying. It wasn't that the spanking hurt, exactly; though it stung badly. It was that she was ashamed of herself for doing something she knew better. And she'd worried her sister again. "I dunno why I talk myself into things I know aren't good for me!" she blurted, flushing in embarrassment.

"I think it's a trait you share with a lot of other family members." Finishing the second circuit, Maria began a third, going a fraction harder and faster. "It's a trait I think many of us can do without seeing constantly."

"Ooooow!" Sharon couldn't help whining. The harder, faster swats quickly sent the swats from stinging to burning. She couldn't throw her hands back to protect her bottom- Maria had made certain her arm was immobilized so she wouldn't strain it further- so she had to accept the swats without fight. The complete helplessness broke through her remaining resistance and she began to cry. "I'm sorry!"

"I know you are." Maria finished with a final flurry of swats to Sharon's sit spots and thighs and then brought the spanking to a stop, gathering her sister into a tight embrace. "And I forgive you. I love you. You're my sister and I care about your safety."

"I know!" Sharon wailed, pressing close to Maria, seeking comfort and cuddles. "I... I need to worry 'bout it so I don't worry you!" She hiccupped, before slumping despondently and just crying.

Maria hugged Sharon tightly, stroking down her hair and back. "I would appreciate that," she said honestly.

Sharon slowly calmed, sniffling, leaning into Maria. "I love you, sis... I really am sorry I worry you all the time."

"Not _all_ the time," Maria answered, hugging her sister a bit tighter. "But it's part of my job to worry about you, sis."

"It shouldn't have to be..." Sharon said quietly, finally calm and not crying.

"That's what big sisters do." Maria smiled and kissed her sister's forehead.

Sharon sniffled and cuddled close. "You're the best big sister ever!" she determined.

Maria cuddled her tightly. "You're the best little sister ever," she promised.

Sharon was content to cuddle a bit more before asking hesitantly, "Should we join everyone else? I think Helen said she was getting a portal to her family in a few hours. Her son will be getting home tonight, and she wants to be there when he arrives...."

Maria nodded. "I think it's time we returned to the family," she agreed.

Sharon stood and fixed her clothing, wincing slightly as she shifted her arm, but otherwise not having too much problem. She was wearing pants that didn't have zips or buttons, so they were easy to maneuver. Once finished she looked up at Maria, waiting for her sister to lead her out.

Maria stood and wrapped her arm around Sharon's shoulders, leading her out of the bedroom and back to the family room.

Helen smiled as the two women re-entered the room. "Just in time. Since I won't be here on Christmas day, I wanted to give you your gifts early..." she smiled, handing both Maria and Sharon each a small box. "Amadeus wanted to be sure I give all his 'aunts' hugs from him, too..." She chuckled, proceeding to do just that.

Maria hugged Helen in return and smiled. "You're more than welcome to bring him to visit us," she commented.

"Maybe when his next break occurs, I can convince him to come visit here. I know he's looking into internships. Maybe he'll want to get one here...." Helen smiled.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find a place for him," Maria promised.

"I think he'd be interested in working with Dr. Banner, to be honest..." Helen chuckled. "Anyway... I've got Stephen opening a portal for me in five minutes, so I should probably grab all my bags..." She hugged them both again, before turning and picking up all the items she was taking home with her.

Stephen walked up at that moment. "Are you ready?" He smiled. At her nod, he quickly opened a portal to her living room. As soon as she was safely on the other side and waving goodbye at him, he let it close. He gave Sharon a slightly long glance before saying, "When you have rested your arm for the required amount of time, I have a list of exercises you can do that will help with feeling like you are too sedentary without over stressing the healing."

Sharon blinked. "Thanks...."

"We really appreciate it," Maria commented. She squeezed her sister's shoulders and then guided Sharon back over towards where they'd been sitting previously.

Taneleer glanced toward Maria and Sharon curiously, but didn't say anything when it became obvious everyone else was ignoring their odd behavior as well. He noted that Sharon was sitting a bit more gingerly than she had been before, though. He wrinkled his nose, glancing at En Dwi with a raised eyebrow. En Dwi just shrugged slightly. He was as baffled as his friend was. Taneleer leaned over to ask the person him, Rocket, and asked, "What happened to her?" in a stage whisper.

Rocket glanced at the newcomer and responded, "Family handles things in a specific way. They use a particular type of punishment here."

"I am Groot," Groot stated.

"Yeah, it does make it harder to sit," Rocket agreed.

Taneleer's eyes widened, but he didn't ask any further questions. It was obvious what punishment was used. "And... the one's receiving such a punishment accept it?"

"I am Groot."

Bryce nodded in agreement with the small tree. "It's hard to argue with a punishment delivered out of love, not hate."

"That seems true enough. How do they decide who is in charge and will deliver the punishment?" En Dwi asked curiously.

"Everyone is in their own family units," Rocket said. "Most of them are parents and kids. A few are brothers. Or sisters." He nodded towards Maria and Sharon.

"It's maybe not a conventional family unit, but it does work," Bryce commented.

En Dwi blinked at that and looked around the group more closely. "It seems that most of them are adopted, as most do not look much like each other and the ages would be a bit... young for some of them to be parents...."

"The majority of them are adopted," Bryce agreed. "And a fair few of them as adults. As they often say: 'When you know, you know.'"

"They just... had a feeling and went with it? I can respect that..." En Dwi grinned. He often just went with his 'feelings'.

Taneleer rolled his eyes. "Of course, you would. You are the exact same way..." He snorted.

"Instincts seem to play a big part in how they all decide to be family." Rocket glanced around at the people. "It's not just parent and children, either. The smaller family units are all interconnected."

En Dwi slanted his head. "What do you mean?"

Taneleer listened in interest.

"Uncles, aunts, grandparents," Bryce answered. "Everyone's connected to each other."

"Sounds cozy..." En Dwi said flippantly, though it was clear in his tone that he liked the sound of it.

"Means not only everyone's got someone to answer to, but also got a family for support," Rocket said.

"No one's ever truly alone," Bryce added.

En Dwi nodded. "I like that... being alone is not optimal...."

"And, of course, you feel that way. You're used to sycophants following you around adoringly, when they aren't trying to kill you." Taneleer snorted.

"It seems that a lot of people think they're better off alone, but it's easier and better with a family surrounding you," Bryce said.

"I am Groot."

Rocket nodded in agreement. "It's not limited to just Terrans, either."

Taneleer slanted his head. "You two have such an arrangement, I assume? With your compatriots that I have heard about… the Guardians, wasn’t it?"

"Um... I think they might have spread themselves out among families... actually... " En Dwi said, glancing around the room and noting Peter with Yondu and Gamora with a Terran.

"They're all with different family units," Bryce said. He glanced towards Rocket and Groot. "We've kind of fallen in with each other."

"I am Groot."

Rocket snorted. "Yeah, _I_ stay out of trouble. Can't say the same about you."

"So, who is in charge of your unit?" Taneleer asked.

"Me and him." Rocket pointed at Bryce.

"I am Groot," the little tree said indignantly.

"Yeah, cause, you did such a good job of taking care of yourself in the past," Rocket retorted.

"Don't be in such a hurry to take charge, my young friend. It is very stressful..." Taneleer said calmly, thinking about his shop and all the beings he had been responsible for. Granted, a lot of them ended up dying, but that was because they had tried to not be his responsibility at the wrong times. Currently, he was responsible only for himself and he was enjoying the break.

"I am Groot," the little tree said, with a clear note of sulkiness in his voice.

"It can be very rewarding, too," Bryce commented.

En Dwi snorted. "Well... I for one agree with Groot. I do not want anyone telling me what I can and can't do!" he declared airily.

"You _would_..." Taneleer shook his head. Of the two of them, En Dwi was the one most likely to do something idiotic and get a rabid mob after them. Of course, he was the one most likely to get assassins sent after him, but that was a whole other issue and had nothing to do with acting irresponsibly.

"A lot of people are thriving with answering to someone else," Bryce said. "Might be discipline, but it's family along with that."

"I suppose..." En Dwi sounded skeptical. He hadn't had 'family' in a very long time.

"It sounds good... but I'll believe it when I actually see it in a time where everyone isn't all feeling good because of this Teran celebration." Taneleer sounded like he was already halfway to believing but didn't want to admit it.

"I can tell you that we've been here for a long time now and they always have family time now," Bryce said. "Everyone's close here."

"So... this isn't just because of their planet-wide celebration?" Taneleer looked even more interested.

En Dwi brightened. "They have fun like this all the time?" he asked. He loved to party.

"Yeah, the majority of the time," Rocket said.

"I am Groot."

Bryce nodded. "He's right. If you're still here when it's warmer, you should see the tree house village on the grounds."

Taneleer blinked at that and gave En Dwi a sideways look. "I don't see why we can't stay around for a bit longer. It isn't as if we have anywhere else, we need to be. We fulfilled our obligation to those we transported here...."

"I like the way you think. I believe I would like to stay at least long enough to see this tree house village. Do you think they will mind us staying?" En Dwi asked Bryce.

"There's plenty of space," Bryce answered. "And there's no problem with more people staying. I'm sure there are plenty of people here who'd like to learn about you."

"Of course, they would... I'm very important..." En Dwi acknowledged, with no hint of teasing in his tone.

Taneleer rolled his eyes and shook his head, before looking at Bryce as if to say, 'What can you do?' "Thank you for the offer. The rooms we are in now are comfortable and close to you and Rocket and Groot. If there is no objection, I feel staying where we are currently at would work."

"Hey, if they can handle us, they can certainly handle the two of you," Rocket said.

"See. That is what I'm talking about. You understand me!" En Dwi smiled brightly at Rocket. "How about you and I go and get some of that delicious warm drink that I have never tasted anywhere else in the universe?"

"You mean hot chocolate?" Taneleer asked dryly, ignoring when En Dwi stuck his tongue out at him and sashayed off.

***

Christmas morning came bright and early for Blake and he quickly showered and dressed, then went to wake his son and brother and check on his parents. He figured they could have breakfast together and then exchange presents.

Deacon was awake and dressed in another set of the pajamas that everyone seemed to be so fond of, a huge pair of 'Rudolph' slippers on his feet. "Hey, bro! Merry Christmas!" He grinned, quickly going and giving Blake a tight hug. Blake had always tried to make Christmas special for him, even when it was just the two of them and they were poor, so the holiday was one of his favorites of the year; it meant time with his brother. "Are we meeting in Mom and Dad's room?"

Blake smiled and hugged his brother tight in return. "Yeah. I'm gonna go wake my kid up and we can all settle in there."

"I'll meet you there, then..." Deacon grinned, then slipped through the connecting door that led to his grandparent’s room, leaving Blake to go back through his own room and to John's.

Blake headed back through to his son's room, knocking lightly on the door to announce his presence before stepping inside.

John was still asleep, on his stomach, partly up on his knees so his backside was up in the air, head buried under his pillow, half his sheet and covers on the floor, the other half bunched up under him and wrapped around one leg. He'd obviously had a restless night. He didn't hear the knock on the door.

Slipping into the room, Blake quietly stepped over to the bed and sat down, wrapping an arm around his son's shoulders. "It's Christmas Day, kid."

A soft, mumbling groan could be heard from under the pillow and then a muffled, "Merry Christmas, Dad..." could be heard. John didn't move an inch (except to shift slightly into Blake's embrace).

Blake wrapped his arms a bit tighter around John and kissed the side of his head. "Merry Christmas, son. I love you."

"Love you too, daddy..." John's voice was a little clearer... he'd shifted the pillow enough that it wasn't muffling him. He still didn't move, though. There was a hint of mischief in his tone.

Blake ran his fingers through his hair and down his back. Hearing the mischief, he asked, "Do you want to cuddle a bit more?"

A few seconds of silence followed the question and then an almost shy, "Uh huh..." was followed by a full body quiver, his backside wiggling slightly, reminiscent of a puppy playing and seeking affection. John was normally a bit more reserved; he hadn't been this obviously 'needy' since Blake had first taken him in hand and then adopted him.

Blake rubbed down John's back, gently squeezing, letting his fingers softly tickle and then lightly stroke over his son. "You need settling, kid?" They'd all seen how Wade and certain other family members needed help settling; Blake figured he'd ask his son outright.

John moved the pillow off his head so he could look his father in the eye. Biting his lip, he gave the question careful thought, then pouted. "Maybe? Dunno... feel weird, but not in a bad way..." he admitted. He didn't want to admit all the lead up to Christmas had finally got to him and now he was over-excited. He hadn't celebrated Christmas since he was very young and most of his memories from that were fuzzy.

Running his fingers through John's hair, Blake looked into his son's eyes. "I know this is the first Christmas you've celebrated in a long time, son. I'm really happy I get to share this with you." He brushed a kiss over his son's forehead.

John closed his eyes at the kiss, then smiled up at his father, a peaceful look on his face. "I'm happy too, daddy... more than I thought I'd ever be...."

Blake brushed a kiss over his son's cheeks. "This will be our first Christmas Day together. You think you'd be okay if I just cuddled you on my lap while we eat and open presents?"

John's eyes widened and his smile broadened and brightened. "I'd like that a lot!" he said quickly, some of his excitement for the day escaping in his response.

"That's good." Blake wrapped his arms a bit tighter and more securely around his son. "Are you ready to go and join the rest of the family now? Or wait a bit longer?"

John twisted around so that he could put his own arms around his father and hold tight. "Do you think they'd mind waiting?" he asked hesitantly. It was obvious he wanted to continue cuddling but didn't want to monopolize his father when the rest of the family was waiting.

"I'm sure they won't mind." Blake settled on the bed, sitting up, and pulled John onto his lap, cuddling his son tightly.

John settled on his father's lap, head on Blake's shoulder. "Thanks, dad..." he said softly, a feeling of contentment overcoming him.

Blake wrapped his arms tightly around John, pressing a kiss to his son's head and stroking down his back. "I'm never going to stop looking after you, son," he whispered. "Never going to stop giving you attention or affection."

John smiled at that. "That makes me happy, cuz I'm never gonna stop wanting it."

"Good." Blake rubbed his hands gently over John's hair and back, squeezing reassuringly every so often.

"Love you, dad..." John whispered. He stayed quiet, just cuddling for about fifteen minutes before saying, "We can join Deacon and grandma and grandpa, daddy...."

Blake kissed his cheek. "Did you want to wear your pajamas?"

John grinned. "Yessir!" He moved to pull the pajamas out of the drawer. "Is everyone else wearing theirs?" he asked curiously.

"Deacon definitely is," Blake answered.

John nodded and grinned, stripping quickly and putting on the pajamas. "Should these _really_ be called pajamas?" he asked, with a thoughtful look on his face. "Most of us aren't sleeping in them; we're wearing them as lounge-wear...." He moved into his father's space, leaning toward the older man.

Blake wrapped his arm around his son's shoulders and led him out of the room and towards his parents' room. "You can call them whatever you'd like to, son."

"Well... yeah. But if everyone else is calling them pajamas, then I'm just being nitpicky for no good reason..." John laughed as his father led him through the adjoining door to his grandparents' room. "Has anyone told Tony how convenient these connecting doors are? So, we don't have to walk out into the hallways and then around to get to each other?" He didn't wait for an answer, mostly talking because of being overly excited, and instead looked toward his grandparents. "Grandma! Grandpa! Merry Christmas!" He nearly bounced in place.

Ben couldn't help but chuckle at his grandson, giving Blake a fondly teasing look. "What'd you feed that boy? He looks ready to climb the walls..." he joked.

Deacon snorted and moved over on the couch he was sitting to make room for Blake and John.

Blake led John over to the couch and sat down, guiding his son onto his lap and wrapping his arms around John's waist. "Nothing yet, Dad. Pretty sure most of its excitement and looking forward to a first true Christmas."

Ben nodded. "Then let's give the boys a Christmas they'll never forget. What do you think, my Rose?" he asked Doris, his voice full of love.

"I say I want to give the boys my gift first!" The older woman smiled, indicating a pile of four gifts under the tree. "Pass them out, sweetheart?"

"I will..." Ben smiled, picking up the four gifts and handing them to each of the younger men before taking his own. "How in the world did you find something for me without my noticing?" He blinked in surprise.

"I had that nice young Friday, in the ceiling, help me use Amazon!" Doris beamed.

"It was my pleasure to help you, Mrs. Doris," Friday chimed in.

"Way to go, Grandma!" Deacon sounded suitably impressed. At her urging, he began to open his gift at the same time John began to open his.

Ben was waiting for the 'young-uns' to open theirs before opening his, as he wanted to see their expressions when they saw what she'd picked out for them.

Blake cuddled John a bit tighter to himself, waiting for his son and brother to open their presents first before he opened his, wanting to share in their happiness and excitement.

Deacon's eyes widened as he took out the watch. "It's beautiful, mom..." he said quietly, reading the inscription on the back.

John was having a hard time not crying when he read the inscription on his own watch. "Thank you, Grand Mommy..." he said in a small voice, swallowing several times hard as a few tears slipped down his face despite his efforts.

Blake smiled happily as he opened his own present and carefully turned the watch over in his hands, reading the inscription. "Thank you so much, Mom. It's perfect." He wrapped his arm a bit tighter around John's waist.

Ben cleared his throat and leaned over, kissing Doris. "These are perfect, darling. Thank you," he said, of the cuff links with the birthstones of their entire family entwined she'd got him.

"You are all very welcome." Doris smiled, happy that the gifts were liked.

"Ok. Now you all get to open my gift..." Ben chuckled, passing out the boxes.

Doris opened hers first, exclaiming at the gold necklace that nearly matched his cufflinks exactly. "How!?"

"Friday helped me too, the minx..." Ben grinned and held Doris tight as she hugged him in excitement.

"It was a lot of fun, Mr. Ben..." Friday interjected, with a fond and mischievous tone.

John was the second to get his gift open, holding up a swiss army knife with 'To John from Granddad' and the date inscribed. "This is awesome, granddad! Thank you!"

"Yeah, Dad! this will be wicked useful!" Deacon said, of his own inscribed knife.

"I'm glad you think so. This is our first Christmas together. Wanted something that would remind you where home is now, every time you look at it..." Ben said gruffly.

Opening his own gift from his dad, Blake smiled happily at reading the inscription. "Thank you so much. This means the world...you _all_ mean the world to me," he whispered, gazing around at his family before brushing a kiss against his son's head.

Deacon grinned seeing his brother with his friend and now 'nephew'. "Our turn now!" he announced brightly. "John and I decided to do gifts from the two of us to you all, on account of we both had the same ideas and rather than one of us getting to keep the idea and the other having to find something else, we figured we could share and just get something a bit nicer...." He stuck his tongue out at John when his nephew snorted in amusement. "So yeah. These are from both John and I...." He passed out the gifts.

Doris opened hers first. There were four tiny charms on a gold band; each charm held a picture of Ben, Blake, Deacon and John. "Oh, boys... I can look at you any time you aren't with me...." she said fondly, a big smile on her face.

"That isn't all, Grand Momma..." John interjected. "On the other side of each charm, our name is engraved. So, on the days when you aren't feeling yourself, you can look at the picture and then turn it over and know who you are looking at..." he whispered hesitantly. None of them liked thinking of the days when she wasn't herself.

"So, they do..." Doris said in a shaky voice, holding the band up to her mouth and blinking back tears. "...It's perfect!"

Ben was blinking back tears as well as he watched his wife with the gift. At her urging, though, he unwrapped his own present. Inside was a fancy gold pen in a special case. The case also served as a picture frame for a picture of the family that Friday had managed to take during one of the times when they were all together. "Thank you, boys. This will go on my desk in a place of prominence; and I know I will enjoy using the pen. Typing just isn't the same as handwriting..." He affirmed their choice in gift.

Blake smiled; a little sadly at the mention of his mother's bad day, but it made him happy to see them open the gifts from his brother and son. Still keeping a firm grasp around John's waist, he reached out and picked up the presents he'd got for his family, handing them each out.

"This is awesome, Chris..." Deacon breathed out as he opened the gift his brother had got for him. "It'll be really useful when I get back to classes..."

Ben nodded his thanks. "Yes. This will be quite useful writing my memoirs. Between this and the pen, I have no excuses not to get started..." he smiled happily.

Doris nodded her own thanks, wrapping the cashmere blanket more firmly around her shoulders. "You noticed I got cold easily... I should have guessed you would notice..." she rubbed her hand over the soft material. "Thank you, son."

John was staring at his gift, at a loss for words and looking nearly close to tears. Everything was so good and right and it just was becoming overwhelming. "Thanks, daddy..." he finally got out in a shaky voice, still staring at the gift.

Blake's smile was warm as he cuddled his son tightly and smiled around at his son and parents. "I'm glad you like the gifts. I love mine," he said honestly, gliding his fingers over the gilded framed photo of his son and brother. Along with that had been a studded leather belt.

"We have the rest of the morning, just us. Right?" John suddenly asked hopefully. "We don't meet up with everyone else till lunch?"

"We do have the rest of the morning to spend just us," Blake agreed. "And we don't even have to join the others for lunch if you'd rather it stays just us."

Deacon carefully plugged the new tablet he'd been given by Blake, into a nearby outlet, putting the watch on and the knife in his back pocket. "I wouldn't be against that. It isn’t like we can't join them for supper, once mom has gone to bed." Doris tended to tire easy and had early nights.

Ben nodded, setting his pen and picture on top of the embossed leather journal. "I agree."

John swallowed hard, looking at the permit Blake had gotten him so they could start plans for the 'camp' for at risk youth. He looked up at his father. "I want to. Just the four of us... for a little longer, at least...."

Blake smiled. "That's what we'll do, then. Join the rest of the family for supper and spend the time before together." He nuzzled his son's face. "I love you all so much," he whispered, voice thick with emotion.

"Love you too, daddy..." John said, unabashedly nuzzling back. He was with family. They could see him behaving a bit more childishly.

"Yeah. Love you too, bro. Love all of you. And I'm so happy we can be together this Christmas..." Deacon responded.

Doris just reached over and patted Blake on the leg in a maternal manner, while Ben nodded. It was clear that they loved their children and grandchild by the look on their face.

***

Wong and Mordo woke fairly early on Christmas morning and it didn't take long for them to get everything prepared and then proceed to gently wake the rest of the family; being especially careful when it came to Frank, considering his training and history meant he was just as likely to come to swinging as he was to wake peacefully.

Stephen hadn't taken long to wake at his brothers' urging and he'd quickly got the items, he'd needed to get ready, situated while Mordo and Wong went to collect Frank. He smiled at Amy as she came into the room they'd decided to congregate in: Wong's room. He chuckled as he could hear mild grumbling from Frank's room, though the ex-soldier didn't sound truly angry.

Amy settled in place on the couch, glancing towards the door as her father finally entered with her two remaining uncles.

"And Merry Christmas to you, Mr. Grinch..." Stephen teased, laughing when Frank gave him a one-fingered salute.

Frank grinned grumpily. "I was dreaming of sugar-plums, dang it!" he joked.

"I saved you a space, Dad." Amy smiled at him. "But if you did want to go back to bed, we can open presents without you," she said brightly.

"What?!" Frank mock gasped. "No way! I'm up now! Gimme pressies!" He wiggled his fingers in a 'gimme' motion, before plopping down on the couch next to his daughter.

Stephen chuckled. "I'm warning you right now. My gifts to you might seem a little _odd_ , but there is specific reason for them."

"I'm sure whatever you give to any of us, we will be happy with and grateful for," Mordo commented, as he and Wong settled in place.

"I'm just happy to not be on the run and alone, this Christmas..." Frank admitted quietly.

Stephen nodded. "I can get behind that sentiment...."

Wong reached over to squeeze Frank's arm. "You won't ever be alone again, at Christmas or any other time," he promised.

Frank smiled at that, putting his hand over Wong's and squeezing back. "That's the most important gift I could have been given...."

Amy leaned against her father and let her head rest against his shoulder, waiting for when she could give out her gifts.

Frank shifted enough that he could wrap his arm around Amy. "So... how do you all handle passing out gifts? Pass them out and then everyone opens them all at once? Pass them out and open one at a time? Or are we making our own new traditions?"

"New traditions are always good, especially since none of us have actually ever had Christmas together..." Stephen shrugged.

"Whichever way you would like to handle this, we will do," Wong said.

"What do you think, sweetie?" Frank turned toward Amy. As the youngest of the group and his daughter, he wanted to start new traditions that she would enjoy and pass on to her kids, if she had any. "Most of my traditions from my first family had to do with food and the tree..." he admitted, with a nostalgic, slightly sad (but not as sad as it could have been) chuckle.

Amy shrugged. "I never really had much experience with Christmas." She leaned against his shoulder.

"Would you like to share those traditions with us?" Mordo asked.

Frank smiled fondly, squeezing Amy more tightly to him. "Well... there was the annual making Gingerbread Men, then stringing them up to hang on the tree. Between the kids and the dog sneaking off the 'ornaments', we usually had a much barer tree by the time Christmas day arrived..." He grinned, not admitting that a large part of the missing 'ornaments' was his fault.

"There's no reason we can't do something similar if you would like," Wong said.

"We usually did it a couple of weeks before Christmas...so it'd be late... but if you were interested, I have a feeling the gingerbread ornaments would all be mostly gone by the end of the day, easily. New Years for certain. Are you interested?" Frank grinned.

"I'd like to do that," Amy stated.

Mordo nodded in agreement. "I think you're right about the decorations going fast, but that shouldn't stop us making them anyway."

"It was always my wife's effort that got them made, to be honest. I'm not terribly good in the kitchen..." Frank wrinkled his nose. "I have the recipe; are any of you good at baking? I mean, I can give the directions, but there still seems to be a certain knack I'm lacking when it comes to knowing when to stop mixing the ingredients, how thick to roll out the dough, how long to leave them cool before icing...."

"I'm sure we can figure it out between us," Wong said. "Mordo and I have had cause to bake before, without using our abilities, so we can take care of it."

"So... after we open gifts, we head to the kitchen to bake?" Frank grinned.

Stephen looked as interested in the proceedings as his brother. "Maybe we can make hot chocolate, or coffee, or tea to drink with the gingerbread I'm sure we will be eating...."

Amy smiled and perked up. "I haven't had hot chocolate in a _long_ time."

"Me either..." Frank sounded wistful... and hungry.

"Then let's go and make those gingerbread men and the hot chocolate." Mordo stood, quickly followed by Wong.

"And then, we can give out presents," Wong said.

"We could give out the presents while the gingerbread men are baking..." Stephen said, with a hint of question.

Frank chuckled. "As long as I get my gingerbread... and hot chocolate!" He stood and held out a hand to Amy to help her up.

Amy put her hand in her father's and stood, leaning on him. "I like that idea," she said brightly.

"Should we take the presents with us to the kitchen? Or just leave Friday to supervise the ovens when we come back to open gifts?" Stephen grinned mischievously.

"Don't see why we can't take them with us? Since we'll also be drinking our hot chocolate there. And maybe a few snacks to tide us over till lunch..." Frank shrugged, his rumbling stomach indicating that it might be more than a few snacks.

Wong and Mordo were quick to voice an agreement and they left to retrieve their presents.

Stephen and Frank gathered the ones they'd got their family as well, meeting everyone back in Wong's room so they could walk to the kitchen together.

It wasn't long before the family unit all gathered in the kitchen, making gingerbread men and hot chocolate.

Frank might not have been all that good with instinctively knowing how thick to cut the cookies or any of the other things his wife had just _known_... but he had a good memory and he was able to tell the ingredients and the measurements (mostly) to Mordo and Wong, so that _they_ could get the thickness and other elements right. As soon as the first batch had been rolled and cut and put into the oven, he passed out the gifts he'd bought his family. It had taken him several trips to bring all the boxes, as they were large, so Stephen was nearly vibrating with curiosity by the time Frank had handed them all out.

Stephen had handed out his gifts at the same time, as had everyone else. Once everyone had a small stack of gifts in front of them, he glanced around. "Open all at once?" he asked, eager as any kid.

Mordo smiled. "I think that's a very good idea."

Amy nodded quickly, her eyes wide with excitement. "Yes! I want you all to open my presents first!" she exclaimed happily.

Stephen nodded. "Alright! Yours first..." he agreed to his niece's wishes, smiling fondly at her. He began to tear the paper off, noting that the others were doing the same.

When he saw what his niece had got him, Mordo reached out and hugged her. "Thank you. It's perfect."

Wong did the same and smiled warmly at Amy. "Thank you so much for thinking of this."

Stephen nodded. "They're right... it is perfect. Thank you!" he moved in for his own hug.

Frank stared at the gift, almost choking up. "Thank you, sweetheart... this... I'm gonna carry this with me all the time..." he said gruffly, obviously fighting high emotion. He pulled her in for a tight hug and didn't let go until she began to squirm to get away. Clearing his throat, he motioned around. "Why don't you all open my gift to you next?"

As they opened the presents, revealing the sleeping bags, Mordo and Wong moved to give Frank a tight hug each.

Amy took a moment to stare at her extra gift and then threw her arms around her father. "I'm so happy I can take your name now!" she exclaimed.

Frank smiled bashfully, blushing at his brother's responses to the gift. "Figured we could all go camping together when the weather gets warmer..." he said quietly. When Amy responded so favorably to her 'extra' gift, he couldn't stop the tears from pooling in his eyes. "I'm so happy you want to take my name. It... It felt right to me. But I wasn't sure you'd feel the same. It means a lot that you do..." he said softly, holding onto his daughter as tightly as he could without hurting her.

Amy nuzzled into her father, holding on. "You're the only true parent I ever had," she whispered, sounding close to tears herself.

Kissing the top of her head, Frank held onto her through the rest of the unwrapping of the gifts. When they opened Stephen's gift of wooden amulets on leather cords, he let go just long enough to secure it around her neck; Stephen said it was spelled to protect and he wanted that protection on her as soon as possible. Soon though, the gifts were opened, thank yous were said and Friday was announcing, "It is time to take out the cookies and 'drill' the holes into them so you can string them later."

They'd quickly taken the trays out of the oven and Frank showed them how to use a skewer to carefully cut a hole at the top before they began to set. By the time they'd cooled enough to harden, each one had a hole large enough to fit a thin red or green ribbon. By the time Mordo and Wong had shown them how to make their version of hot chocolate, the cookies had cooled enough to put the ribbon in and decorate. The smell of gingerbread and chocolate permeated the compound.

Amy stepped away so that they could drill in the holes and make hot chocolate, smiling happily as they began to decorate. With a mischievous smile on her face, she began decorating one of hers to look like her father.

Frank, grinning, 'retaliated' by making one look like Amy. He then proceeded to make the others look like members of the family. Eventually, each member had been immortalized in gingerbread thanks to Amy and Frank. The rest all looked like sorcerers and ninjas, courtesy of the other three men.

Mordo couldn't help but smile as he saw the representations of the family members. "I can't help but be concerned that we might end up eating ourselves or family members," he teased.

A horrified look crossed Frank's face.

"What's wrong?" Stephen asked curiously.

Frank gulped melodramatically. "Just having flashbacks to playing the Sims with my kids and watching as my Sim-self got attacked and killed by flies..." he shuddered.

"I never quite understood that Sims craze," Wong commented.

"It... was strangely addictive..." Frank chuckled.

"I'll take your word for it," Mordo said.

Frank looked around at the piles of cookie ornaments they'd made and his empty mug. "Well, as I seem to have run out of drink and the cookie ornaments are all cooling and hardening enough to hang... should we begin making lunch? The others will likely be out soon...."

Wong nodded before addressing the AI. "Friday? Are you aware of any family units who will not be joining us for lunch?"

"Yes, Master Wong," Friday said, telling them of those who were staying in their rooms for lunch.

Stephen began to gather ingredients for lunch, while Frank cleaned up the remaining mess from making cookies. Soon, the smells of lunch began to mingle with smells of gingerbread.

****

Like all the other families, Coulson's family was all together in his room. They'd all stayed in Coulson's room Christmas eve and now, they were exchanging presents, sticking close to each other.

As Grant watched his siblings, nephews and nieces open their gifts, he felt a sense of peace and happiness. He smiled at his father. "Family has grown a lot in the last year..." he whispered.

Coulson smiled at Grant in return, reaching over and squeezing his son's arm. "It still doesn't change how much I love you. How much I love all of you," he murmured.

"I know. You've got such a big heart; I'd never be afraid of your love diminishing at all for any reason..." Grant responded.

Coulson smiled warmly and looked around at the rest of his children and grandchildren. "There's a bit of time before we'll be joining the others for lunch. Does anyone want to play cards?"

"Sure, dad... that sounds great," Jeffrey said happily.

Waiting for everyone else to voice their agreement, Coulson then retrieved a pack of cards and began dealing to those who were going to play.

"What are the rules for this... game?" Nebula asked, with a slightly confused look on her face, as she looked at the cards in her hand.

Natasha leaned across and began explaining the rules to her, making sure her voice carried enough that anyone else who wasn't sure would hear as well.

Soon, they were all laughing and talking over the game, taking turns on who played; whoever won, stepping back and letting someone new play. "We might want to buy a couple more decks of cards so we can all play at the same time, next time..." Clint said in amusement.

"Do you play this game every Christmas?" Raina asked curiously.

Grant blinked at realizing this was her first Christmas with the family. It was a first Christmas for all of them but Clint, Natasha, and Grant. "Feels like you all have been with us and part of the family forever. You all fit in so well, it's hard to believe it's been less than a year for most of us..." He gave Coulson a fond look. "We did play this game last year. I think we should play it every Christmas."

Coulson smiled. "I agree. I think we should make a tradition of playing this game every year. I'll make sure to get some more decks in time, too," he added.

"I like that idea. Do you think maybe, when everyone gets together for lunch, anyone would be interested in Caroling?" Bobbi asked.

"I'd like to do that." Wanda perked up from where she was nestled with her papa.

"I'd be interested too." Bobbi grinned.

Pietro wrinkled his nose. "Not so sure it's something I'd enjoy doing, but you guys go ahead and have fun."

Jeffrey grinned. "Why do I think we'll have a choir of angels, with no lower ranges represented?" he chuckled.

Nebula slanted her head. "Peter Quil will sing if Gamora asks." She sounded matter of fact. Not teasing at all.

Lincoln grinned impishly. "I guess that means Lance will too."

Wanda cocked her head slightly and then turned to look at her father. "Will you sing with us, Papa?" she asked, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Uh..." Clint looked like he'd got caught in the crosshairs, swallowing hard. "I... I'm not all that great at singing, princess, but for you, I'll torture everyone else..." he finally said, teasing.

Natasha laughed. "A few more puppy eyes like that and we'll get a good choir going," she commented.

""That is good?" Valkyrie asked curiously.

"I think a lot of us will enjoy taking part." Natasha smiled at her daughter. "It'll be another new experience for you to take part in."

"I'll look forward to it," Valkyrie smiled back.

Natasha wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders and smiled at her son. "What do you think, Lincoln?"

"I think I'm about to get roped into singing..." Lincoln laughed. "But that's okay. Maybe, if everyone is really interested in it, we could go over to the hospital and sing for the patients and staff who can't be home during Christmas...."

Coulson smiled. "I think that would be a really good idea," he agreed.

"That is a good idea. And I'm pretty certain the rest of the family will agree." Clint nodded. "Speaking of which... I smell gingerbread and... chili?"

Grant laughed. "I'm pretty sure someone was making cookies earlier and now they've started lunch."

"Maybe we should go help them?" Raina asked.

"If everyone's ready to." Natasha looked around at the rest of the family members and then started to climb off the bed.

"I'm ready..." Jeffrey agreed, crawling off as well.

Soon, all of Coulson's children and grandchildren had got up, gifts were gathered and taken to their owners' rooms and trash was put in the appropriate spot. Everyone headed toward the kitchen to help with lunch.

***

Carol glanced around the room curiously. She'd been invited by Steve to join his family for Christmas. They were like all the other families in that they all met in their father's room as a family. She had assumed that meant everyone would meet in Steve's room. Instead, they met in Charles' room; along with Bucky and his family and Adrian and his family. Feeling a bit overwhelmed at all the people, she gravitated to the other single female her age that looked as uncomfortable as she felt... Jessica.

Jessica gave Carol a crooked smile. "Just when I think I've got a handle on all the togetherness of the family, some new celebration occurs, and I discover new traditions to get used to..." she whispered in self-mockery.

Steve smiled towards his daughter and the newcomer he'd invited to join them. "It can get a bit overwhelming at times, but you do get used to it," he commented.

"Seems kinda nice... I never had a huge family like this, but I remember having a few 'traditions' with Maria and Monica..." Carol said quietly, though she still held back, not wanting to intrude too much.

"What kind of traditions?" Steve asked, wanting to encourage the other woman to feel included.

"Christmas Tacos..." Carol said, with a tiny grin. "Usually, just the shells with whatever leftover Christmas dinner we had stuffed inside..." She laughed.

Steve smiled warmly at her. "We did a similar thing. Not with tacos, but we used leftovers." For all life had been difficult for him and his best friend growing up, there were a lot of good memories tied to that time.

Carol nodded. "Leftovers in tacos for Christmas. Leftovers in sandwiches the day after Thanksgiving. Leftovers over pasta..." She laughed. "Did you know there are at least five different things you can do with Kraft Mac 'n Cheese to make them taste different? Beyond just the regular way?"

Jessica grinned, giving Carol a curious look. "You did that too? I thought that was just me."

"Oh no. Store brand macaroni and cheese that costs .15 cents, mixed with a can of chili beans?" Carol made a sound indicating she wouldn't mind having that in that moment.

Tony huffed in amusement. "Well... can't say I eat it that often, but I know even store brand isn't that cheap now..."

Carol wrinkled her nose. "If I'm going to be here any length of time, I've got a lotta stuff I'm gonna need to relearn...."

"I'm sure there are several people, at least, who would be happy for you to stay as long as possible," Steve commented.

Peter moved over towards his grandfather, looking curiously at Carol. "So, you don't need to breathe in space?"

Carol smiled at the young man. "Nope... when I realized my full powers, any need I had for breathing apparatus disappeared."

Kaine came over next to Peter. "What kinda powers do you have? Can you climb walls?"

"I never tried to climb walls... I can fly. And cover myself in flames so when I bust through things, it catches on fire..." Carol blinked.

Logan snorted. "So, you'd be in good company here."

"Lots of people here have abilities," Remy commented. "You'll probably see the school soon. More of them there."

"Do you all go to school here, then?" Carol asked the youngest members of the family.

"Not yet..." Kaine said. "Right now, I take a portal to my old school so I can see my friends... but if things get dangerous, daddy said I might need to transfer, so...."

"There are a lot of enemies who might target the family members here." Adrian wrapped his arm around Kaine's shoulder, pulling his son close against himself.

"We're gonna study further, but we haven't decided where yet." Peter indicated himself and Harry. "Harry's still deciding on his major." He grinned at his best friend.

Carol smiled. "I thought part of the fun of college was figuring out what you wanted to do? Surely you don't have to figure it out before you get there?"

"I think it's less about what and more about where... since security will need to be fully vetted. Even though I think Harry has at least narrowed down what he wants to do to one or two options, so we're trying to find universities with good programs in those areas." Jemma smiled at her cousin.

Harry shrugged, but responded. "I actually have two ideas in mind I really want to pursue."

Peter nudged him. "I keep telling you. Take both. You're plenty smart enough to handle it."

"He's right, you know... you are very smart," Tony smiled at his son. "And as someone with multiple doctorates... I can say with certainty that if you choose to go after more than one degree, there is no reason at all you won't succeed."

Harry smiled at his father. "Thank you." More confidently than when he'd first been adopted, he hugged Tony.

"For what? For telling the truth?" Tony smiled and pulled Harry close and tight for a hug before dragging Werner over for one as well. Considering his other son had been talking to Pepper and she was between both of them and considering he hadn’t let go of Harry, they ended up in a pile on the floor.

"Ack... as much as I Iike puppy piles, a little warning next time?!" Pepper laughed.

Steve smiled at the sight of his children and grandchildren in a pile on the floor and then smiled at Carol. "Everyone here is very physically affectionate with each other."

Carol snorted in amusement. "I can see that," she remarked, as Jemma suddenly turned on Peter and began to tickle him mercilessly for something he'd said, leaving Bruce to have to physically separate them, one on each knee, before it went from playful to painful and feelings got hurt.

Leo grinned at his dad and brother and sister. "We've all been a lot more relaxed recently," he said, thinking of the stress and tension due to the de-aging.

"You aren't normally this relaxed?" Carol asked curiously.

Jessica snorted. "Not normally. Usually, something's going on somewhere to cause upheaval."

Steve nodded. "Lots of enemies."

Harry cuddled up to his parents and brother. "We all got de-aged."

"Yeah. It was fun." Peter nudged his cousin. "At least for some of us."

Carol blinked at that. "I noticed that some... seemed a bit younger than their true age. Did that de-aging alter some of you permanently?"

"If you're referring to Kara, no. She was like that before she was de-aged. I'm not entirely clear on why or what causes her immaturity to manifest, since she is capable of being a competent, confident adult, but the why's don't really matter in the long run, I guess..." Jessica shrugged.

"Were you de-aged?" Carol asked Jessica.

Jessica blushed faintly. "Yeah. You'll have to ask dad if I was as terrible as I felt like I was, though..." She laughed hesitantly.

Carol wrinkled her nose, glancing at Steve, but not asking. If Jessica had been terrible as she seemed to be claiming, Carol doubted Steve would confirm; and it wasn't like it was any of her business anyway.

"It was a difficult situation all round," Steve admitted. "But quite a few new family members joined because of it. And I can't see that as a bad thing."

"You gained new family because of it?" Carol asked in surprise. "How? Did someone not in your family get de-aged too?" Maybe they'd had to help someone and got closer to them because of it....

"We had some people join us to help. And for other reasons too." Steve smiled fondly at Werner.

Carol nodded. It wasn't important who joined most recently. The fact they were all together now and living as if they'd always been together was the most important and telling thing. This family fit together. It made her miss Maria and Monica. She'd been gone a long time. She likely didn't fit with them as well as she once had. It left her with a sense of loneliness she hadn't felt in a long time.

Steve moved a little bit closer to Carol, noticing the look on her face. "Did you leave someone behind?" he asked softly. "We've got a lot of connections here. If there's someone you want or need to see."

"My best friend, near sister, and her daughter... left them behind when I flew off into space over twenty years ago. Never intended to leave them behind and never see them again, but it happened. Just now realizing how much I miss them..." Carol sighed softly.

"If you give us as much information as possible about them, we'll see what we can do," Steve promised.

"I... I know where they are. I just... I haven't been back in so long, I guess I'm afraid that, even though Maria knew where I was going and why, they might be mad at me for never visiting. What if they don't want to see me?" Carol winced. As powerful as she was, she didn't feel all that powerful when it came to possibly losing her best friend.

Steve moved a bit closer to her, enough that it wouldn't take much to wrap his arm around her. "I didn't see my best friend for a long time. And when I did, I wasn't angry or upset. Just happy to have him back."

Carol smiled crookedly. She bumped shoulders with him gently. "So, you're sayin' I should let them know I'm back in town and see if they wanna meet?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Steve responded, letting his hand rest gently on her shoulder and squeezing lightly.

"Guess when we go back to the main area and everyone is together again, I can call..." Carol relaxed, something about him squeezing her shoulder making her feel at ease and more a part of the group.

Jessica grinned. "Dad gives good advice..." she said, confidently and with a hint of amusement.

"Granddad's the best," Peter stated confidently. "Especially when he's decided you're part of the family."

Carol's eyebrows went up at Peter's words. "So... am I part of the family now?" she said, in a joking manner, but hesitant, as if she wasn't sure it was something she wanted to joke about. Belonging and being part of the family wasn't a bad thing.

Steve smiled at her and said, sincerely, "I would like you to be."

Carol blinked and looked up at Steve in surprise. "Serious? You just met me!"

"That's how fast most of the family moves," Leo commented.

Steve nodded. "When you know, you know."

"When you know, you know..." Carol said faintly. "...Can't really argue with that." She smiled crookedly. "What if I was planning to go back into space? Fight the good fight and for the underdog and all that?"

"We don't go on missions alone," Steve replied. "If something's important to you, the family will work with you to make sure you succeed."

"Uh... I've been doing missions alone for over a decade..." Carol said. She wasn't exactly arguing against what he said, but she wasn't going to pretend she was completely on board with it either. It wasn't like it mattered now, anyway. And if she did need to go on a mission back into space, it wasn't like there were too many people who could accompany her.

"A lot of people here were," Steve said. "But the family doesn't take risks. They don't go on missions alone."

Carol narrowed her eyes and looked at Steve, not belligerently- more thoughtfully- a tiny smile on her face. "Well... I guess we'll see if it ever becomes an issue. Family this large, someone has to be able to go into space with me." She shrugged slightly, leaning toward Steve.

Steve responded by wrapping his arm around her shoulders, even as he responded, "Many of us might not have gone into space before, but that doesn't mean we wouldn't. I'm sure there are plenty who would be willing to go. Myself included."

"Cousin Thor and Loki, at the least! And Lorelei... Do you think Lorelei would be interested in helping?" Jemma turned and looked at Patsy.

"I think it depends on what it's for," Patsy answered, thinking of the amount of enemies their cousin had formed due to her abilities. "It would be up to Uncle Odin anyway."

"That's true... For Thor and Loki too, I imagine. Uncle Odin would have to say they could..." Jemma said, as if adults deferring to their father was normal.

Carol wrinkled her nose. "Is it normal for all the adults to get permission from their parent?"

"No one does anything that might be dangerous without permission or a _very_ good reason," Peter stated. "Or you get spanked."

Harry blinked and looked at his best friend. "Don't they normally have that conversation in private?"

Peter shrugged. "You want another demonstration from the merc with the mouth?"

Carol's eyes widened comically. "Spanked? Even the adults?!"

"It's the worst kept secret here," Leo murmured. He shrugged. "Being part of a family, having parents and siblings, uncles, aunts, cousins...it's worth a lot to all of us. There're a lot of people who have been saved because they were pulled into the family."

"Well... yeah. Having a family seems like it would be the best thing possible for everyone. Just... even _adults_?" Carol sounded surprised.

Steve hugged her a bit tighter. "Even adults make mistakes sometimes."

"Well... can't argue that..." Carol slanted her head and got a weird look on her face. "...I... I somehow get the feeling you all aren't the only ones to utilize it..." she said, thinking of Talos, Soren and how Yon reacted to them.

"The people you came with?" Peter asked brightly.

"Yes... They were friends from when I first discovered my powers. And Yon... he was my Superior Officer before I learned the truth. We've only recently mended our relationship..." Carol admitted quietly.

Harry glanced at Peter and then at Carol before saying, quietly, "It's good to mend relationships."

Peter nudged shoulders affectionately with his cousin.

Carol smiled at that, sensing a story but not wanting to push at that moment. "Yes. It is..." she said, with a nod.

Charles cleared his throat and nodded to the tree with the pile of presents under it. "If no one objects, I would like to start by giving out my gifts to everyone."

Everyone quickly agreed, moving closer to the tree. Soon, the family was laughing and expressing appreciation as gifts were passed around.

***

Scott glanced around at his family. He hadn't expected to be so happy... but he was. He had a father and a mother. He had his girlfriend (who he had every intention of marrying). Cassie was with him. Of course, Maggie and her new husband were with them too; but the three of them were getting along! His new brother Mike was here with his nephew Ace. His uncle Bill and Cousin Ava were spending the day with the rest of them too. It was just one big happy family and he... he felt contented.

Ava was sat quietly on one of the chairs, next to her father. It was still something of a novel experience to be able to move without pain and she hadn't been out of cryo for long, considering finding a cure had taken a while. She leaned her shoulder against her father and gave a quiet sigh.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Bill asked, worried that she was tiring out. As much as he wanted to experience Christmas with her and his family, he didn't want her overdoing it either.

Ava nodded. "A bit tired, but I'm getting energy in longer bursts now," she said hopefully.

Bill nodded. "Well... we'll open gifts and then maybe a short nap before lunch wouldn't be amiss..."

"That might be a good idea," Hank spoke up. "I know it feels like you've been sleeping for a long time, but it wasn't true rest."

Ava nodded, not arguing.

Janet leaned over and kissed Hank on the cheek, before shifting so she was sitting on the other side of her niece, taking her hand and squeezing it. "Until then... a little pick-me-up. You're going longer and longer without my help. Soon, you’ll be able to lead your best life without me." She smiled encouragingly.

"I'm just happy I can be with my dad...be with my family...with your help," Ava whispered, relaxing visibly as Janet helped her.

Janet smiled. "We're happy about that too, sweetie."

Mike grinned at his family. "So, who's ready for presents?"

"Me, me!" Cassie began bouncing enthusiastically in place before grabbing Ace's hand and dragging him over to the tree.

The adults grinned at the exuberance, following the children so Hank could begin handing out gifts.

***

In the family room, Talos, Soren and Lyja had claimed one of the couches. Talos was settled in between his wife and daughter, holding Yon on his lap. Taking advantage of the flap that preserved his son's modesty, he allowed one hand to rest gently on the Kree's backside, under the flap, while his other gently squeezed the nape of Yon's neck.

Yon hadn't thought anything of the fact his new father was touching bare skin, was scruffing him, even when all the other family members entered the common area to close out the day together. He might have been embarrassed, had nearly every other parent not had at least one child sitting on their lap receiving the same attention. Some were being handled even more; he'd noticed when Yondu had led Quill in by the hand like a little child. It was impossible not to see how close everyone was. And everyone was at ease with physical affection. The entire group was at ease and serene... happy. Christmas day had been just what was needed for reconnecting or, in some cases, making a connection. He smiled at Carol, noting how she sat pressed against Steve, talking to Jessica (who sat on the super soldier’s lap).

Carol caught Yon's smile and smiled back, pressing closer to Steve without thought.

Talos let his hand rub gently over Yon's bottom and thighs beneath the flap, gently squeezing every so often. He let his forehead rest against his son's, smiling when Lyja and Soren each took one of Yon's hands.

Steve wrapped his free arm around Carol's shoulder without conscious thought, squeezing her gently to himself.

Everyone was settled and happy, cuddling with their family and carrying on quiet conversations. Wade took one look around and then, in typical Wade fashion, said loudly, so that his voice carried to the whole room, "...God bless us, everyone!"

** The End **


End file.
